


We Met at Work

by utterlycliche



Category: Anne of Green Gables (TV 1985) & Related Fandoms, Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Politics, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, No angst because I don't like angst, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Workplace Relationship, romcom vibes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:08:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 31,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26393158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/utterlycliche/pseuds/utterlycliche
Summary: "Anne knew, in the very back corners of her mind, that she was probably being a little unfair to the other head intern. It wasn’t Gilbert’s fault that their boss, Mr. Philipps, was a raging misogynist that hated any woman in a leadership position. It wasn’t Gilbert’s fault that his ideas were always chosen over hers...It wasn’t his fault that everyone found him to be a charming and lovable guy, constantly fawning over him. And yet. Anne blamed him anyway.Typically Gilbert knew when he was pushing her buttons. He also knew that he should probably stop. Anne had to deal with enough shit from their boss, and was being treated unfairly...Consequently, he told himself that he should approach her with more kindness, considering the position she had been placed. And he did. Really.But, sometimes he couldn’t help himself...He’d feel more shame if it didn’t lead to some of the most entertaining moments of his day."Anne and Gilbert are coworkers during a Summer internship, much to Anne's frustration. Despite a rocky start, the two start to become friends and, well, you can probably guess.
Relationships: Diana Barry & Anne Shirley, Gilbert Blythe & Anne Shirley, Gilbert Blythe & Mary Lacroix, Gilbert Blythe & Sebastian "Bash" Lacroix, Gilbert Blythe & Winifred Rose, Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley, Ka'kwet & Anne Shirley, Mary Lacroix & Anne Shirley, Mary Lacroix/Sebastian ''Bash'' Lacroix, Moody Spurgeon MacPherson & Charles "Charlie" Sloane, Ruby Gillis & Anne Shirley, Ruby Gillis/Moody Spurgeon MacPherson
Comments: 75
Kudos: 223





	1. Bickering is Fun Until it's Not

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I know NOTHING about how political organizations work. So, this works the way I want it to work. 
> 
> Also, Ka'kwet's frustrations about being the only POC on this team is from experience. So, any jokes or comments she makes about being a Brown woman in a workplace stems from my own experiences as a working Brown woman. 
> 
> Enjoy!

_Tap, tap, tap._

Anne huffed, and brushed a fly away strand of hair from her face. The words on her computer screen were blurring together.

_Tap, tap, tap._

Her fingers hovered over her keyboard, as she bit the inside of her cheek to prevent a frustrated scream. She had lost her train of thought! This needed to be finished by tomorrow, and she was barely halfway through it. _Concentrate, concentrate, concentrate_ , she repeated to herself. Just as she started typing, he did it again. 

_Tap, tap, tap._

She threw a withering look towards the perpetrator, who was none the wiser. Of course. Gilbert sat at his desk poring over maps of the district they planned on canvassing next week. Sticky notes were plastered over it, and he continued writing notes. Tapping his pen with fervor while he thought. It was driving her _mad_. 

“Could you _not_ tap your pen like that?” She said. 

He looked up from his desk, and gave her a blank look. “Like what, exactly?” 

“Like you’re trying to puncture a hole through your desk.” 

Gilbert gave her a bemused look. “I didn’t realize that I was tapping it like that. My apologies.” 

She rolled her eyes, and turned back to her computer. Anne knew, in the very back corners of her mind, that she was probably being a little unfair to the other head intern. It wasn’t Gilbert’s fault that their boss, Mr. Philipps, was a raging misogynist that hated any woman in a leadership position. It wasn’t Gilbert’s fault that his ideas were always chosen over hers. It wasn’t Gilbert’s fault that her media team was full of duds (except for Ka’kwet of course), and his field team was solid as a whole (except for Billy of course). It wasn’t his fault that everyone found him to be a charming and lovable guy, constantly fawning over him. And yet. Anne blamed him anyway. 

Gilbert watched Anne’s fingers jab at her keyboard, and he bit back a smile. The tapping had truly been unintentional. Typically he knew when he was pushing her buttons. He also knew that he should probably stop. Anne had to deal with enough shit from their boss, and was being treated unfairly. He tried his best to stick up for her whenever possible, but he learned quickly that she had a temper, and had no problem taking it out on him. Consequently, he told himself that he should approach her with more kindness, considering the position she had been placed. And he did. Really.

But, sometimes he couldn’t help himself. 

Anne Shirley-Cuthbert was one of the most interesting people he had ever met. She fascinated him. She was incredibly smart, driven, and creative. She consistently suggested ingenious ideas at every meeting. But, Mr. Phillips had it out for her, and unfortunately some of the other men in the office followed suit. Especially Billy - making snide remarks and rolling his eyes at her requests. Charlie and Moody listened to her, at least, but had no problem complaining behind her back. As a result, Anne had grown defensive. Particularly with him. She was curt, and taciturn whenever possible. The only way he ever got more out of her was when he teased her. Or said something that he knew would rile her up. Then, she would throw a paperclip at him, or they would debate and bicker over ideological differences until someone down the hall would tell them to shut up. Gilbert was perfectly aware that he had been reduced to a Kindergartener tugging on a little girl’s pigtails to get her attention. 

He’d feel more shame if it didn’t lead to some of the most entertaining moments of his day. 

“I think tomorrow will be a pretty successful day,” he stated, looking back at his map.

“Mhm.” 

“Having Josie organize the main event will mean that everything will go exactly to plan. With Winnie on recruiting, we’re sure to get a lot of signatures and donations. People seem to really respond to a British accent.”

“Uh huh.”

Gilbert smiled to himself. It should bother him, but he couldn’t help but find the humor in the situation. 

“Ruby will be leading the livestream...It’s funny how all of the men are behind the scenes. What a coincidence.”

She shot him a look, and he bit back a laugh. He stood up to stretch and waited. He knew she would have to say something. He just —

“Is it a coincidence?” Anne retorted. Gilbert pretended to be confused, as she continued, “Or is it because the men of this team seem to be woefully lacking in several skills?”

He gave her a look of mock offense, and put his hands in his pockets. “Would you say that? We’ve got some talent.”

She snorted. “Oh, yeah. Moody is great at filing paperwork incorrectly. Charlie manages to do every task at a snail’s pace. And Billy is only here because his dad owns the branch. The only male intern here who displays any sort of competency is—” 

Gilbert stood straight up, and crossed his arms. He watched as she realized what she was about to say, a full-blown smile on his face. 

Anne looked at him with a scowl. “You set me up for that one. I admit that I should’ve seen that coming.”

Gilbert smirked. “I promise it was unintentional. However, you didn’t _actually_ compliment me. I’m still waiting.”

“I think the implication was enough,” Anne stated, causing Gilbert to laugh. 

The alarm blared on Anne’s phone, signaling that the daily rundown with Philipps starting in three minutes. They both started organizing their things, reviewing what they had finished that day with their teams. Just like clockwork, Philipps walked in with his usual bored sneer. 

“Alright. Tell me what you’ve got,” he said as he leaned on Anne’s desk. She cringed, and watched him knock over a cup of pens. 

“Well, our focus for tomorrow is the start of our equitable healthcare access campaign,” Gilbert explained. Anne tuned him out as he gave his report on assignments. She knew his plan backwards and forwards. And he knew hers. She disliked the guy, but respected the fact that she needed a second pair of eyes to look over her work. His was the best in this office, and so it was unavoidable. 

“That sounds great, Blythe. Well done.” Philipps looked at her, exasperated before she even opened her mouth. “Cuthbert?”

Anne handed him the drafts of all of the communications being published tomorrow - the newsletter, the Facebook and main website post, Ruby’s drafts for their Instagram and Twitter. Anne watched as Philipps lips pursed about a third of the way through her explanation. Just as she finished explaining that Ka’kwet would be manning the behind-the-scenes for the Facebook Live and prepping some research in advance, he cut her off.

“Why is Ka’kwet doing the behind-the-scenes?”

“It’s what she’s most comfortable doing, and she’s the most knowledgeable about the data. Ruby is more comfortable being fed the information while on camera.”

“Yes, Ruby _is_ a pretty face,” he mumbled as he looked through the drafts. Anne scrunched her nose in disgust. That _wasn’t_ what she had meant at all, not that he cared. Mr. Philipps continued talking, “However, our initiative is about accessible healthcare, particularly to Indigenous communities. Shouldn’t Ka’kwet be the face of that?” 

Anne bit back a sigh. She didn’t disagree with him, per se, but like she said before. It made Ka’kwet uncomfortable. She was hired to be a researcher, not a presenter.

“Sir, I understand what you’re saying, and I suggested that Ka’kwet be on camera. She agreed to sit beside Ruby as she worked, but speaking on camera is something she isn’t comfortable with. She’s a researcher.” 

Philipps lowered his brow. “Well that’s too bad. Switch their roles. And please,” he said warily, standing up to leave, “No follow-up arguments. I don’t have the time today.”

Anne clenched her jaw, “But!”

“What did I just say?” He barked.

Gilbert flinched and looked at Anne’s face. Her eye was twitching and he saw the blood rush to her face.

“Maybe we could compromise?” Gilbert offered, “Ka’kwet can do the scripted portions, and Ruby handles the Live questions. That way, Ka’kwet can feel more comfortable with speaking and still handle most of the research, and we can use Ruby’s strengths as the social media rep.”

Anne felt her shoulders tense, and she refused to look at Gilbert. He always had to step in! It was the most infuriating…

“Thank you, Gilbert! Being flexible, like always.”

Gilbert avoided Anne’s gaze as he shook their boss’s hand. 

Philipps walked out of their shared office, and Gilbert braced himself. “It was a team effort, you know,” he said, after a moment.

Anne glared at him, and he smiled, timidly. “I just added onto your idea. That’s all.”

She crossed her arms. “ _Right_ , and yet you get all the credit, and I get nothing. As per usual.”

He sighed. “I was trying to help. We weren’t getting anywhere, and we still have to report the changes to the team. I didn’t think any of us wanted to stay late,” Gilbert reasoned

He watched her pack up her things, and he felt a flicker of annoyance. Anne grabbed her notebook and a pen, and marched over to the office space down the hall where the rest of the interns sat. Gilbert, suddenly feeling exhausted, rubbed his eyes and did the same.

“Alright, teams! Gilbert and I just met with Mr. Philipps, and we have some changes to report,” Anne said as she walked to the front of the room. Her gaze swept over the seven faces looking up at her. Billy, Moody, Charlie, and Josie all wore bored expressions. Ruby looked terrified, as always. Thankfully, Ka’kwet and Winnie picked up pens to take notes, waiting for further instruction. 

“All of the changes are directed to the media team,” Gilbert interjected. “Field team, we’ll be sticking with our original plan. Josie and Billy will work the main event in the town square, with Josie in charge. Winnie will be in charge of recruiting and spreading the message in the areas around the square. I’ll float in between and supervise.”

Anne tried her best not to roll her eyes before she reviewed her notes. “Media team - Moody and Charlie will be phonebanking here, and taking in any information being sent from the town square event. You’ll put in any volunteer information into the database. I’ll be spearheading the Facebook Live town hall, fielding the questions and prepping the relevant research for answers.” She paused, and gave an apologetic look to Ka’kwet, who looked at her with confusion. “Ka’kwet and Ruby, you will share camera time during the Live. Ruby will take the ending Q&A. Ka’kwet, you’ll be leading the beginning portion. Explaining the mission and the research.” 

“What?!” 

Anne flinched at Ka’kwet’s outburst. “I specifically said I didn’t feel comfortable doing that! You know how I get in front of a camera.” 

“I know, but Mr. Philipps insisted that you speak.” 

Ka’kwet rolled her eyes. “Oh, you mean he insisted I be the token? _Great_ , I love that for me.” 

“Well, this is targeted toward Indigenous communities. The message probably comes off as more inclusive if it is coming from a person from within that community,” Gilbert said, and Ka’kwet glared at him. 

“The message is already coming from a person from within the community, whether or not I’m on camera. You just want to use my face.” 

Gilbert cleared his throat, and the room was tense for a moment. She wasn’t wrong, of course. He felt bad, but their boss was adamant, and he was trying to keep some semblance of peace. 

“I know this sucks, and it’s not fair that they use you in a way that makes you uncomfortable,” Anne said, walking over the Ka’kwet’s desk. “I’m sorry. I tried to argue your side, but you know that Mr. Philipps doesn’t listen to me.” 

The young intern sighed, and nodded. 

“I don’t blame you. I know you did your best. Philipps is just such an _asshole_ sometimes.” 

Anne laughed, sardonically. “No one knows that better than me.” 

She sat down next to her friend, and put a comforting hand on her arm. The office was quiet, waiting for someone to make the next comment. 

“Sooooo, are we done here?” Josie asked, while gathering her things. “Because it’s after 5:00 pm, and some of us have lives outside of this internship.”

All of them looked at Gilbert expectantly. “Yeah,” he nodded, “That’s it. We’ll see you guys tomorrow.” 

At that, the rest of the interns shuffled around the room, collecting their bags, and tidying up their areas. As they all started to walk out of the office, Gilbert looked over towards Anne. He saw Ka’kwet whispering to her, and he felt a pang of guilt. 

“I’ll see you two tomorrow!” He said, jovially. The two women glanced at him, disdain clear on Anne’s face. 

“See you tomorrow, boss!” Ka’kwet said, kindly. He paused, waiting to hear something from Anne, but she kept her back to him. Typical. Gilbert knocked on the doorframe twice, announcing his leave, and walked out of the room to make his way home. 

* * *

“UGH! He just makes me so mad!” 

Diana tried to hide her smile behind her glass of wine. She peered at her dear friend and roommate, who was staring angrily at the empty plate in front of her. 

“Mr. Philipps or Gilbert Blythe?” 

Anne scrunched her face. “Both! But, at this moment, Gilbert.” She leaned back in her chair and folded her arms. 

“He _knows_ how Ka’kwet felt about it, and he went along with Philipps’ demands anyway. So spineless.” 

Diana sighed. She worried about her friend sometimes. Anne had been having a lot of difficulty at this new internship. She came home every day ranting about either Mr. Philipps or Gilbert or some other incompetent coworker. 

“Anne,” Diana started, putting down her glass, and leaning forward. “Are you sure this internship is worth it? You seem...so miserable sometimes.” 

Anne sighed, and fiddled with the ends of her long, red hair. She had the same thought herself on the drive home, but she wouldn’t quit. “The men are abhorrent, but…it pays really well for an internship. And it’s for an organization that does important work. I get to write about and advocate for issues that I genuinely care about.” She sighed. “Plus, if all goes well…”

“...they could offer you a permanent position there. It would be the perfect starting job,” Diana finished for her. 

Anne said all of this over and over again in her head during particularly bad days. And she meant it. Truly. The Prince Edward Island Political Activism group, PEIPA, was a well established organization. They stood for all of the things that Anne believed to be equitable and just. This particular branch in Charlottetown was far enough away from Marilla and Matthew that she felt some freedom, but not _too_ far away that she felt alone. Plus, Diana was here working on her Master’s degree at Queens. It all just worked. 

Anne could deal with a couple of insufferable men if it meant that she could live in the city she loved with the person she loved the most - other than the Cuthberts, of course. 

“Well, then. Maybe you should consider Gilbert’s perspective. He did elaborate on your original compromise. It just included some of Mr. Philipps’ idea, too.” 

Anne gaped at her friend as Diana started clearing off their dining table. Anne followed her into the kitchen, glasses in each hand. 

“ _Et tu Brute_?”

Diana laughed, affectionately. “I’m simply trying to say that it might be beneficial to give Gilbert the benefit of the doubt.” Anne opened her mouth to protest, but Diana continued her thought, “I don’t agree with him! However, Mr. Philipps is your boss. And I’m sure he’s just trying to please everyone. At least, based on what you’ve told me so far. He seems like a fixer with good intentions.” 

Anne huffed, and leaned against their counter as Diana started washing the dishes. 

“You tend to be very firm in your morals, Anne. Which I love! But not everyone is like that. Some people try to find the middle ground. It might do you some good to respect Gilbert’s methods. Then you could have an ally instead of a rival.” 

“But Mr. Philipps is the worst. Who would align themselves with someone so terrible?” 

“Someone who is trying to keep his job.” Diana turned to Anne. “And from what I’ve heard, it sounds like he’s also trying to make sure you keep your job. He’s not out to get you, Anne.”

Anne let out a frustrated groan. “He might not be out to get me, but he’s certainly very good at it.” She grabbed the dishcloth to go wipe down the table.

“You know, for someone who claims to hate Gilbert Blythe so much, you seem to enjoy talking about him.” Diana grinned, teasingly.

“You’re not funny!!” Anne yelled from the other room. 

* * *

Anne had such high hopes for this position with PEIPA. When she saw the application and the salary, she couldn’t believe her luck. She was made for this job. Her double major in political science and English would be put to good use managing the organization's media team. Well, the intern team anyway. She aced her interview with Muriel Stacy, and was confident that she would get hired for a permanent position once this was all said and done. 

At the beginning, she didn’t even mind her co-head intern. Gilbert had seemed nice enough. Whip smart, for sure. She valued his input and he seemed to respect hers as well. But then, Mr. Philipps made it clear he had a favorite. No matter how hard Anne worked, or how much initiative she had, her boss found her intolerable. She had worked her ass off to get to this point in her life. And she wouldn’t let a small man with a poorly groomed mustache ruin it for her. It also didn’t help that his disrespect reminded her too much of her time in foster care, though she would never admit it. The passive aggressiveness. The instability. The walking on eggshells. Anne hated it. And Gilbert did _nothing_ to dissuade the man’s favor, even though he _knew_ that Philipps was wrong. 

Gilbert didn’t see it that way of course. He thought his compromises were the best course of action. He wanted to help Anne, but he didn’t always agree with how she handled situations. She got angry, quickly, and was often stubborn. Though she _did_ have a right to be set on her ideas, considering her ideas were the best.

He had tried to reason with her at first, explaining his logic, but she was so stubborn sometimes! Anne got into the habit of walking away from him mid-conversation, and his patience would run thin. Things got especially bad after a poorly-made joke leading to a cup of water in the face. (He hadn’t realized that calling her Carrots would evoke such a strong reaction. Apparently it was a sore spot for her. Anne knew it was an overreaction, but she had been having a pretty shitty day, and it felt so good to see his effortlessly styled curls wilt under her water.) 

Ever since then, Gilbert had tried to get back on her good graces, but nothing worked. Free coffee did nothing. Picking up extra work was an insult to her. And so, they continued their tempestuous relationship. It wasn’t professional, but Anne reasoned that it could have been worse. She hadn’t hit him, yet. 

On the bright side, she and Gilbert were excellent head interns despite leading an inconsistent team. The group of interns had seen a lot of success during their recent launch. Winnie had gotten a lot of people to sign up and donate. Ka’kwet had knocked it out of the park during the Live session, despite her qualms about being on camera. Things were going well. 

“We’re set to start planning for our climate change initiative now that the healthcare launch has started. That issue will move to our permanent team,” Mr. Philipps announced to the room. 

They all sat in the interns’ main office, as he paced through their desks. Gilbert watched as their boss squeezed a stress ball in one hand, and twirled a dry erase marker in the other. He honestly believed that Mr. Philipp’s thought that if he was constantly moving it would make him look like someone of importance. 

“I hope you guys came prepared for our pitch session. Who wants to start?”

Before he could finish his question, Anne’s hand shot into the air. Gilbert saw Josie and Billy roll their eyes at one another, and he considered flicking a piece of paper at them. 

Mr. Philipps sighed. “Alright, Anne. Go ahead, since you can’t be stopped.”

Anne bit back a snarky comment, and stood up. She passed around flyers with graphics and bulleted lists. Gilbert was impressed, but not surprised. Anne was always prepared. 

“Climate change is one of the most accessible issues right now. A majority of people are supportive of policies that reduce carbon footprint. This organization is excellent at working with larger systems, especially in recent years. We’re also respected amongst politicians and businesses. So, my idea focuses on a more local approach. Schools.”

“Like universities?” Charlie asked. 

“No, I mean public schools - elementary all the way to high school. Climate change is a battle that needs to be fought over many years. What better way to advocate for change than educating the younger generation and get them to _care_ about their impact?”

Anne paused, and looked at their faces. 

“I love it!” Ka’kwet said.

“I agree. I think it’s a wonderful premise,” Winnie added, while reading the pamphlet in front of her. “Educating the youth so that they can feel involved now. Then, when they’re older, they’ll continue to advocate for policies that protect the planet.”

“Exactly!” Anne said. “Plus, schools are always looking for extracurriculars, and we have enough money to offer a free presentation to the schools that are interested. Then, we can do fundraisers for equipment through all of the schools and through our big donors. It’s great publicity, and it’s a meaningful contribution to the Charlottetown community.”

The rest of the group looked at Mr. Philipps, hesitantly. He tossed the pamphlet on the closest desk. “It’s fine. But I’m not sold on the payoff for us.”

Her heart sank. “What do you mean, exactly?”

“I _mean_ , I don’t think we would get enough out of it.”

“What exactly do you want to get out of these programs?” she asked, “Our purpose is to advocate for issues that align with our mission statement. What else is there?” 

“There’s money,” he said, glibly. 

Gilbert watched as Anne’s brow furrowed. “Well,” he interjected, “I believe Anne mentioned that we could raise money through our partnerships as well as through the student bodies.” 

Anne quickly looked over at him, and he tried to offer a friendly expression. “Isn’t that right, Anne?” 

She pursed her lips, but nodded. “Yes. I did say that. We can work with them to come up with the best -” 

“No,” Mr. Philipps interrupted, “I meant, we need to raise money for our own organization. Not the schools.”

“But I’ve looked at our budget and the finances, and I don’t think that’s necessary in this case. Climate change is an issue that people regularly provide donations toward,” Anne explained. 

“Doesn’t matter. The point of this is to push for as much as we can get.”

“I thought the _point_ of this was to advocate for issues that matter and reach out to people. Not money,” Anne countered. 

The rest of the room was silent as the two of them glared at one another. Ruby let out an uncomfortable giggle, a terrible nervous habit that the group was all too familiar with at this point. Gilbert looked between the two of them, and tried to think of a way to mitigate the tension. He cleared his throat. 

“I have an idea.” 

Anne sighed deeply, and turned to face him. He clenched his jaw, and gave her a look before continuing, “We can offer a deal with our big donors. They offer a donation and, say 40% of it goes toward the schools, and the other percentage goes toward the organization. Toward...something of their choice.”

He watched as Mr. Philipps considered the idea, and Gilbert walked towards the center of the room. 

“We could also work with schools who already have business partnerships. Those partnerships can offer donations as well. That way, the funds for the activities come out of our pocket less, and more from companies that are already aligned with the schools. It’s good press for them, and we can promise them some sort of business deal in return.” Gilbert paused, and crossed his arms, trying to think on the spot. “For example, say it’s a restaurant? We can promise to use them for catering an event.” He looked at their boss and asked, “What do you think?” 

He watched Mr. Philipps nod, and glanced at Anne whose face was bright red. She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, Mr. Philipps said, “Now _that's_ what I’m talking about. Good idea, Blythe.” 

Gilbert glanced at Anne again, and saw her sit down next to Ka’kwet, her back facing him. Ka’kwet put a hand on her arm. 

Mr. Philipps put a hand on Gilbert’s shoulder. “Blythe is taking the lead on this project. Everyone needs to report to him since he’ll be outlining the plans.” 

“But,” Gilbert started, anxiously glancing at the others, “Sir, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I mean, it was Anne who came up with the premise.” 

He felt guilt creep up his stomach as his boss dismissed the statement altogether and walked out of the room, wordlessly ending the meeting. The room was quiet for a moment before Josie clapped her hands sarcastically. 

“Way to go Anne. Another _awesome_ pitch,” Billy said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. 

“Yeah, Anne!” Josie chimed in, “Stellar job!” As she got up to pack up her things, the rest of the interns followed suit. Gilbert hesitated before walking over to Anne, her back still facing him. 

“Hey...” 

She whirled around, her braid nearly slapping him in the process. She gave him a cold look. “Don’t talk to me. Now. Or ever.” She stomped out of the room, and he sighed deeply. 

Ka’kwet and Winnie gave him sympathetic looks. He perched himself on the edge of a desk, frustrated. “I was just trying to help. I wasn’t trying to poach her idea or anything. You guys know that, right?” 

“Of course we do,” Winnie said. “It’s just...” 

He furrowed his brows, and waited. “What?” 

The two women looked at each other before Winnie continued, “Anne has to deal with a lot of push back here. You see that. It’s not as easy for her, working in this office.” 

Gilbert nodded slowly, and Billy interjected as he stood in the doorway. “You women always want to complain. Anne is being a hard ass. Maybe if she learned how to be a little nicer the man would listen to her.” 

All three of them looked at him with disgust. Gilbert got up and walked out of the room to find Anne. As he passed by Billy he paused. “Billy? Shut up.” 

Billy narrowed his eyes at him, “What did you just say?” 

“Talk about Anne like that and you’re out of this office. I don’t care about your dad, got it? Just shut up.” 

Gilbert walked away and ignored Billy as he shouted, “I was just joking, bud! Jesus.” 

Gilbert walked into the head intern office space, and watched as Anne furiously packed up her things. She shoved her belongings into her bag, slamming her water bottle into it as he neared her desk. 

“Picturing my face on the bottom of that water bottle?” He asked, jokingly. She ignored him, and he walked closer, wringing his hands nervously. “Look, Anne. I am _really_ sorry he gave me the lead. But, your idea is brilliant, and we’ll be working together on this. Really. I need your input. You’re the genius behind all of this anyway. I just...compromised with Mr. Philipps. I didn’t mean to encroach on your idea. So...I’m sorry.” 

He waited for her reaction. Eventually, she looked at him, clearly still mad. 

“See? That’s the thing. You compromised on _my_ idea. Therefore, you changed _my_ idea without even consulting me first. You just stepped in and saved the day, like you always do. And _now_ , I don’t even get to lead my project. _You’re_ leading it.” She crossed her arms. “And you’re right. You do need my help. So, not only do I have to still work really hard on this project, I get none of the credit. So. Thanks, Gilbert. Thank you _so much_ for saving my idea.” 

He felt a surge of frustration at her sarcasm. “Okay, I get that you’re angry right now, but I did have good intentions. And your project is still happening. He wasn’t going to listen to you. I could’ve just let the project die then and there.” 

She barked out a laugh. “What do you want me to do? Bow at your feet?” 

“ _No_. I just think you’re being a little harsh without really listening to me,” he countered. “Some appreciation for my support would be nice every once in a while. I’m not out to get you.” 

She took a deep breath. “You are _so_ selfish.” 

“Are you serious? I’m selfish? You’re calling _me_ selfish?” Gilbert couldn’t believe it. A string snapped inside of him. “I’m not the one who won’t compromise or listen to other people’s input.” 

“Well I didn’t _ask_ for your input!” She yelled. 

“Well you could have!” He yelled back. The two of them stood four feet apart from one another, both of their faces red. “You could have brought it to me before the meeting and asked. I would have given you the same advice and the same idea that I gave back in that meeting. We could have worked on this together, but you _refuse_ to ask for help unless it’s for spell check. You have to do everything alone.” 

She opened her mouth, stumbling on her words for a moment. “Well - you could have offered me that advice _after_ the meeting. You could have waited and we could have had the conversation in private! Instead, you took over and steamrolled me. When you do that? It takes away any authority I have in this position when we’re _supposed_ to be equals. So, now, I look like the petulant child and you’re the boss.”

“That’s fitting, since you _are_ acting like a petulant child. But what else is new, eh? Anne throwing a temper tantrum, like always,” he said snarkily. “Watch out for Anne! She’s in one of her moods, everyone!” 

Her jaw dropped, and he regretted his words as soon as they were out. _Shit_ , he thought. He didn’t mean that. Before he could apologize, she put on her bag, and walked closer. 

“You should know that your _advice_ pushes out schools with low business partnerships. Business partnerships are more common amongst higher-income schools. Which means that wealthier schools have more access to extracurriculars, and low-income schools are left out. Like always. There was a reason I didn’t pitch that idea, despite the fact that I had it weeks ago.” 

Gilbert furrowed his brow, and swallowed and she walked past him. She stopped at the door and turned back. Her face looked so defeated, and Gilbert resisted the urge to step forward, to offer some sort of comfort. 

“Look,” she said, sighing, “We have to work together, and that’s it. We don’t have to get along. We don’t have to be friends. Alright?” 

Gilbert heard her leave the room, and he groaned as he sank into the closest chair. He leaned his head back, trying to figure out how all of this had gotten so messy. He was trying to help! 

He sighed again, and packed up his things to leave. Gilbert tried to alleviate his guilt by reminding himself of his good intentions, but every time he did a vision of Anne’s defeated expression materialized. He was used to her anger, frustration, and annoyance. Defeat. Defeat was new. Picturing her expression made him feel like he had crushed a sunflower under his foot. 

By the time he clambered into his bed, Gilbert promised himself that tomorrow would be different. Tomorrow, he could make things better. And maybe, somehow, Anne would forgive him.


	2. The Start of a Beautiful Friendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for your comments! They're all so sweet, and thanks to the feedback, I've made several improvements to later chapters. 
> 
> This community is so kind!! Warms my little heart.

The next day at the office was...tense, to say the least. Gilbert walked in to see Anne already wearing headphones as she typed on her computer. He sighed and sat down. The two of them skirted around one another, managing to only speak once to each other the entire morning. 

“You need to proofread the documents I just emailed you before we send them to Philipps,” Anne stated.

Gilbert nearly jumped in his seat, the sudden interruption startling. He nodded his head, and nervously smoothed his tie. “Yeah, of course.”

“Thank you, Mr. Blythe.”

He looked at her oddly. “What?”

Anne gave him an innocent look. “Well, you’re my supervisor now, right? Since you’re taking the lead? I’m simply trying to be professional.”

He opened his mouth to argue, but her attention was already on her computer with her headphones back on. By the time lunch rolled around, Anne grabbed her things and walked out of the room. Usually they all ate together with the other interns, but he figured it would be safer for him to stay in their separate office space today. 

As he started pulling out his food, he heard a light knocking on the door. He looked up and saw Winnie standing there, smiling softly. “Thought you could use the company.” 

He smiled in return. “Thanks.” 

She put her things down on his desk, and went to pull up a chair. Gilbert liked Winnie. She was nice and easy to get along with. She sat down, and they started eating in companionable silence. He couldn’t help but ask, “Is Anne in there?” 

Winnie shook her head. “She and Ka’kwet went to go eat somewhere else. I think they’re outside.” 

He nodded, glumly. Winnie felt a pang of pity. He was smitten with Anne, though she doubted he even knew the extent of his feelings. After several days of watching him moon over the redhead towards the beginning of summer, it was clear that Gilbert was gone. In fact, she and Ka’kwet had waged a bet - picking dates for when the boy would confess. Winnie guessed by the fifth week of the internship. Ka’kwet wagered the very last day (“I live for the drama!”). 

Now, it was clear that Winnie would lose that bet, but she didn’t mind. She simply felt bad for him. Gilbert tried so hard, but was so, _so_ clueless. “Can I offer you some perspective?” She asked. 

He snorted before responding, “Please. I’ll take anything right now.” 

She put down her things, and folded her hands on his desk. “You know that things are different for you and Anne, right?” He nodded, and she continued, “People trust you almost immediately. You’re very smart and quite charming, which I’m sure you already know. Yes?” 

“I...guess, so. People tend to like me.” 

Winnie nodded, and rolled her eyes. “Anne is incredibly smart, and kind, as well. However, she is also...adamant in what she thinks is right and wrong. She’s not afraid to be firm when defending her ideas. She’s outspoken.” She smiled in thought. “I find it all very admirable, to be perfectly honest.” 

“So do I,” Gilbert said, nodding. 

“Right, but...that’s because you view Anne as an equal. So, when she stands up to you, you don’t find it threatening or disrespectful. Not many men in a workplace like this see it that way,” she said, carefully. “I’m _aware_ of that and act accordingly, which _isn’t_ to say that’s the right thing to do. But, it’s what works for me.” 

He looked at her confused, and she sat up, and asked, “Why do you always make me the recruiter? When we go out in the field?” 

“Well, because people like you. They’re drawn to you, and you’re trustworthy.” 

She nodded, knowingly. “I’m also British, which makes people think I’m smart. I’m also blonde, tall, and slim which makes people attracted to me. All of these traits I use to my advantage.” She raised her eyebrows, and Gilbert cleared his throat, awkwardly. 

Winnie continued, “I’m not naive. Neither is Josie. She does the same thing. Ruby...well,” she said furrowing her brows, “Poor thing isn’t quite sure what she wants. Ka’kwet likes to stay quiet and focus on her work. Anne is different. She speaks out about injustice and wants to be heard. She refuses to conform. And so, she gets treated a bit like shit. It’s all stupid, really.” 

Gilbert shook his head, and leaned forward. “I don’t want Anne to conform to anything. That’s why I try to offer my ideas.” 

“Oh, I know! Your intentions are good, I know. But, Anne doesn’t need your ideas, nor a knight in shining armor. She needs someone to stand _behind_ her ideas, so she’s not always alone.” 

Winnie gave him a comforting look, and continued eating her lunch while Gilbert processed her advice. 

“Also,” Winnie said, after taking a bite of her pasta, “You could consider getting her flowers. I’ve noticed she quite likes flowers.” 

He looked at her questioningly, and she shrugged, “Just a thought!” 

* * *

“The party is going to be _pretty_ crazy,” Josie said, smugly. Ka’kwet rolled her eyes at Anne, and Anne bit back a laugh. 

It was Friday afternoon, almost the end of the day. Anne had spent most of it with the other interns in an attempt to avoid Gilbert. She had stewed in his words for hours, ranting to Ka’kwet and Diana nonstop. But, when she tossed and turned at night, the guilt started building more and more. She was angry, but also surprisingly...embarrassed. 

Anne _was_ stubborn, and she really didn’t like compromising with anyone. She was used to doing all of the work herself because, frankly, she didn’t like anyone else’s ideas. Anne had always seen that as a strength, but in light of what happened a couple of days ago…He hadn’t been _totally_ wrong, though she dreaded ever saying that to him. 

She knew she had been hard on Gilbert, who —though still in the wrong, at times — meant well. His ideas were good, and he knew how to get Mr. Philipps on his side. In the back of her mind, Anne knew that if she _had_ brought him her idea days before, he would have gladly helped. They could have brainstormed ways to fit in a compromise without sacrificing the core values of her project. She just...didn’t like asking for help. And Gilbert was infuriatingly smart and likable and smug. But he wasn’t a bad person. She knew that. 

Instead of admitting that, she chose to hide from her guilt and avoid the apology Gilbert deserved. Like the stubborn fool that she was. 

“My roommates and I are inviting as many people as possible since this is our last soiree in our townhome. The landlord _sucks_ , so we’re really throwing a rager. So, you know, you all are invited,” Josie finished, shrugging. 

“Sweet!” Billy said, pumping his fist. “I’ll bring some of my buddies. We’re doing a pub crawl first, but we’ll definitely stop by after.” He gestured towards the women in the room. “You ladies will thank me later.”

He winked at Josie, and she smiled coquettishly.

Winnie scrunched her nose. “Why would we thank you?”

Billy looked at her, confused. “Because my crew is bomb!” He leaned back in his chair, and nodded his head toward Moody and Charlie. “Not like the losers that work here.”

The two looked at one another, and Moody said, “Fuck off, Billy.” 

Billy paused, a dopey grin on his face, then shrugged. “No problem!” He picked up his bag and tapped the top of the door frame as he walked out. They all waited a beat, half expecting him to come back. 

Charlie looked at them, confused. “It’s not even five o’clock, yet. Can he do that? He can’t do that.”

Winnie gazed at the door with disgust. “He’s lovely isn’t he?”

Ka’kwet snorted. “Yeah, real classy.” She turned to Josie. “My parents wouldn’t let me go to something like that. Thanks, though.” 

Josie looked at her oddly. “Aren’t you an adult?” 

“Yeaaaah, but I still live with my parents. It’s their home, so...” Ka’kwet explained slowly, but Josie still didn’t understand. 

“Why don’t you just sneak out?” 

Ka’kwet gave her an odd look back. “You really don’t have any Brown friends, huh?” 

Josie scrunched her face in thought, before ignoring the comment altogether. She looked at Anne. “You’ll go, right?” 

Anne nodded without thinking, and they all continued chatting excitedly. She faintly heard Ruby console the two boys, telling them that _she_ didn’t think they were losers. An alert went off on her computer, and she wheeled her chair back to the desk. It was an email, sent at 4:50 on a Friday. Odd.

She opened it and scanned its contents quickly. Anne read through it two more times to make sure it wasn’t a joke before she jumped up from her chair, laptop in hand, startling the people around her. 

“Anne? Are you okay?” Winnie asked. 

“Uh, yeah, um...Yes. I have to go talk to…someone. I’ll see you guys later.” Anne speed walked to her usual office and saw Gilbert sitting at his desk, reading through some papers. She hesitated, took a breath, and walked over to him.

“You gave up the project?” 

He tensed, but looked up at her. “Well, I didn’t really give it up. We’re still doing it. I just told Ms. Stacy that you should lead it, and she agreed. Along with Mr. Philipps.” 

She looked at him confused, and sat in the chair by his desk. “Mr. Philipps...agreed? How?” 

At that, Gilbert smirked, and leaned back in his chair. “Well, he didn’t so much as _agree_. He was _forced_ to agree after I spoke with Ms. Stacy privately.” He paused, and looked at her. “I explained the dynamic between the two of you to her. She thought it only fair that you get the credit you deserved, and she was sorry that nothing had been done about it sooner.” 

Gilbert tried to gauge how Anne was feeling, but her face was blank, mouth slightly open in shock. “I wasn’t trying to go behind your back or step on your toes. I thought that I could talk to her in your defense,” he rambled, nervously. “Which isn’t to say you can’t, you know, defend yourself because I know you’re more than capable of doing that. You don’t need a someone to defend your honor or anything, I know. Really. So.” He cleared his throat. “Are you...okay with that?” 

She blinked slowly, then put her laptop back on her desk. She took a deep breath before turning back to face him. He felt his shoulders drop in relief at the big smile on her face. 

Anne nodded. “Yeah. I’m...okay with that.” Gilbert grinned. 

“Good! I look forward to working under your supervision.” He went back to work, expecting that to be the end of it, but Anne cleared her throat. He looked at her standing by her desk. She fiddled with the end of her ponytail that hung over her shoulder. 

“Gilbert…”

“Oh? It’s Gilbert, now? Not...Mr. Blythe?” He teased, and she rolled her eyes. 

“Will you let me apologize, please?” She said, and he shook his head. 

“You don’t need to apologize. I have been an ass these last few weeks. I’m so used to trying to fix things, and I let it cloud my judgment. Mr. Philipps sucks, and boss or not, I don’t ever want to be on his side again. I should have taken a step back and understood where you were coming from. I’m sorry.” 

Anne gave him a smile. “Thank you, but I _do_ need to apologize, too.” 

“No,” Gilbert shook his head again, and waved his hand, “You really don’t.”

“ _Yes_ , I do!” She said, sharply before taking a breath. “Do we have to argue about this?” She raised her brows, and he gestured with his hand, signaling that she could continue. 

“I appreciate your apology, and it’s accepted. However, I should also apologize to you. I’ve been...known to be a little hardheaded.” She paused here and watched him raise his brow. She pretended to ignore it. “And, I don’t like asking for help. It makes me feel incompetent. I know that you meant well, and...I hope that in the future, you and I can work together. As a team.”

Despite the apology, she still looked at him with a slight challenge in her eyes, her arms crossed. Gilbert smiled. “I would like that, too.” 

“Good. That’s...good.” She sighed, relieved, and went to start packing up for the day. 

They both got ready to leave in silence. As Anne started to walk out, she stopped at the door. She watched Gilbert as he organized his desk, methodically putting everything back in its rightful place. Anne felt the need to offer more than her words, something to make up for the misplaced anger.

“Josie is having a party tonight?”

He looked up, surprised, and Anne continued, “She wants to trash her place to spite her landlord. All of us are going to be there.” 

“Of course. That is a very Josie thing to do,” Gilbert chuckled. He looked at her kindly, and said, “Thanks for letting me know, but I don’t think I’ll be able to make it. Have some stuff to take care of at home.” 

Anne ignored the disappointment she felt, and nodded. “Right. Of course. It was last minute, so...I’ll see you on Monday, then.” She turned to leave, but glanced at him again, and he looked at her expectantly. “Thank you, Gilbert. Thank you for doing that.” 

Gilbert shrugged. “It was the right thing to do.” 

She nodded, again, feeling oddly uncertain about herself, before she left. Gilbert watched her walk out, a wave of pride washing over him, and grinned.

* * *

“So, he gave you the lead?” 

Anne nodded and prodded at her food. Diana furrowed her brow, and said, “And he apologized? For…?” 

“For backing up Philipps for the last few weeks. For steamrolling my ideas, and for not doing anything about it earlier.”

Diana pursed her lips, the corners of them twitching upward. “Huh.”

“What?” Anne asked, and watched her friend shrug. “It’s weird, right? Why would he do that?” 

“Well, maybe he’s not as bad as you originally thought,” Diana stated, fully smirking. Anne rolled her eyes. 

“Don’t say it.” 

“Say what?” Diana looked at her.

“You know what!” Anne stood up and took their plates to the kitchen. “You want to say that you told me so.” 

She heard Diana follow her into the room. “It sounds like he took your words to heart, and did the right thing.” The two of them stood across from one another, both of them leaning against opposite kitchen counters. “Is that so surprising? From what you’ve said, it sounds like his words might have affected you, as well.” 

Anne squirmed under Diana’s knowing gaze. She was right because Diana was always right. Diana looked at her, and nodded, knowing that her words had the intended effect. She glanced at the clock. 

“Isn’t Josie’s party starting? When are you going to head over?” 

Anne groaned. “Ugh, I don’t want to go. Josie is a snob, and I’m sure all of her friends are just as bad.” She walked over and hooked her arm through Diana’s, and rested her head on her shoulder. “Let’s just stay in and watch old movies.” 

“Oh, come on, now. You’ve been working really hard! You deserve a night to let loose, and have fun. You don’t even need to pay for the alcohol. That’s nice, right?”

Anne snorted, and Diana squeezed her arm. “You just want to stay in and stew in your mood. Let’s go to the party together. We both could use a break, hm? Besides, Gilbert said he wouldn’t be there. No need to think about running into him.” 

“Who said I was worried about running into him?” Anne scoffed. She felt Diana shrug.

“I just thought I’d mention it.” 

Anne did like the idea of free drinks and food. Plus, she had told the others she would be there. When was the last time she relaxed? 

Anne stood up. “I’ll keep your advice under consideration.” 

Diana grinned. “It’s all I ask of you, darling!” 

* * *

The townhouse was crowded with people as Anne dragged Diana behind her. The smell of booze and perfume smacking her across the face. 

“I swear to God, Diana. If you leave my side at any point tonight!” Anne yelled over her shoulder. 

“Why would I? I don’t even know anyone at this party!” 

They shouldered their way to the kitchen, which was significantly less crowded. They took stock of their surroundings - people loitering in the living room, a drinking game in the dining room. There were very few people in the backyard despite the fairly lights hung along the patio, the humidity too much to bear. 

Anne turned to Diana, who looked slightly scandalized at two men aggressively chugging beer. “Well, you _are_ the one who forced me to come to this woman’s party. I would have much preferred staying at home.” 

Dianna gave her a look, as she turned to pour them each a drink. “Yes, I know. However, you have been entirely too stressed out, and you need a break.” She handed Anne a cup, and she lifted her own towards her. “We’re relaxing tonight! Having fun! I need this just as much as you. Okay?” 

Anne smiled, begrudgingly. She couldn’t stay mad at Diana, especially when she knew that she was looking out for her. Anne nodded empathically. “Yes! Okay! Cheers!” 

They bumped their plastic cups together and drank, Anne consuming almost the entirety of the drink, enjoying the coolness spread through her body. Her muscles releasing tension she hadn’t realized was there. 

The two of them spent the next hour or so moseying around the nicely decorated home. Anne introduced Diana to Ruby and Winnie, and all four of them hit it off right away. They giggled at the pinched looks on all of Josie’s sorority sisters, and the dopey looks on all of the men. They bumped into Moody and Charlie along the way, and all five of them ended up sitting in a corner of the living room, playing ‘Never Have I Ever’ like they were back in middle school. 

“Okay, okay, okay. My turn!” Ruby squealed, her face pink from her second drink. She giggled, as her eyes roamed the room. They waited for what felt like an eternity before she finally gasped at a thought. “I have one! Never have I ever...gotten a ticket!” 

Anne rolled her eyes at the mild declaration, and drank with Charlie and Moody. “How is that possible? I’ve been in a car with you! You drive like a lunatic,” Anne said, and Ruby smiled. 

“I didn’t say I was never pulled over!” Ruby shrugged. “I just manage to talk myself out of them.” 

“Ruby!” Winnie exclaimed, proudly. All of them laughed at her fake innocent look, and Anne felt her jaw drop as she laughed. 

“I am very impressed, Ruby! Stick it to the man!” She tapped her cup with Ruby’s and they both cheered. 

“Hey, it’s Gilbert! He made it!” Moody yelled, waving his arm, “Gilbert!” 

Anne's shoulders tensed, and Diana put a hand on her arm. She looked over at her friend, and Diana mouthed ‘Be nice.’ Anne took a breath. She could be nice. 

“Hey! I’ve been looking all over for you guys.” 

She watched as Gilbert greeted Moody and Charlie in the way that all men greeted each other. An odd handshake and slap on the back. She wondered if all boys had to practice that greeting during puberty. Some sort of weird rite of passage. 

“Gilbert! Didn’t think you’d make it. Thought you might be at a medical seminar of some sort!” Winnie teased.

“Yeah, well, all the interesting Friday night medical seminars were booked, unfortunately,” he retorted, then smiled at all of them. “Glad I could be here.” He paused, and looked at Anne closely. “Nice to see you, Anne.” 

Diana squeezed her arm, and Anne smiled tightly. “Nice to see you, too, Gilbert.” He raised his brows in surprise, and Anne slung an arm around Diana’s shoulders. “This is my dearest friend in the whole wide world, Diana Barry. Di, this is Gilbert Blythe.” 

The two of them shook hands, and Diana grinned mischievously. “Yes, the famous Gilbert Blythe. I’ve heard a lot about you.” 

Anne whipped her head to look at her, and pulled her arm back. “Diana!” She felt her cheeks redden, and she heard Gilbert laugh. 

“Well, I can imagine what you must think of me, then. I’m sure it’s terrible.” 

Anne pursed her lips, as Diana answered, “No, I think you’ve learned your lesson. Besides, I would say I’m a Gilbert Blythe advocate.” 

Gilbert’s smile widened, and he looked at Anne. He waited for her to give some biting comment, but was surprised to see her smile good-naturedly. “Yes, she really is. It’s quite the pain in the ass to be told by the wisest woman in the world after a long day of work that perhaps I was in the wrong. I would be more upset with her except she’s usually right. Emphasis on the _usually_.” 

“Are you suggesting that...maybe you’ve been a little hard on me?” Gilbert couldn’t believe his ears, and Anne glared at him. 

“Only because I am in a weakened state, and I promised myself that I would have fun tonight. Which means no bickering with you.” 

He smirked. “That’s too bad. I actually find bickering with you to be pretty fun.” 

Anne’s blush deepened as Gilbert realized how his last comment sounded. He scratched the back of his neck - a nervous tick that Anne had noticed over the last couple of weeks. Diana subtly cleared her throat. 

He turned to everyone else. “So. What’d I miss?” 

Moody went to go get Gilbert a drink, and they all went back to their game. Anne felt herself loosen up, and thought about what Diana had said earlier. Perhaps he wasn’t as bad as she had thought. She observed him as he teased Charlie and Moody, giving them shit for their tales of stupid adventures from when they two were in high school together. It turned out, he was pretty funny, without being mean. He listened intently whenever anyone spoke. He really was charming.

Eventually, the conversation split into two. Ruby giggled at Charlie and Moody’s inanity, with Winnie egging them on, and the other three were off to the side. Anne listened as he and Diana discussed the International Relations program at Queens, and her desire to work abroad in France. 

“I’ve actually always wanted to study in Paris as well,” Gilbert said, his cheeks pink from the crowd and alcohol. Anne wasn’t sure how she had ended up sandwiched between Diana and Gilbert, but she didn’t mind it. The three of them seemed to click, quickly, talking like old friends. Maybe she was more drunk than she realized. 

“Oh, really? Do you speak any French?” Diana asked, leaning over Anne. He laughed and shook his head. 

“No, not at all. I should probably learn some before I make the trip, eh?” 

“Then why do you want to go to Paris?” Anne asked. He opened his mouth, seemingly hesitant before finally giving his answer. 

“Well, I doubt it will ever happen, but…” He sighed. “I’ve always had this idea that it would be incredible to study at the Sorbonne. You know, I graduated from U of T with a biomedical engineering degree. The history of medical research done at the Sorbonne is fascinating, and…” He shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s silly, really. There are a lot of universities here that do similar research. It’s just an idea that got stuck in my head when I was a kid. I saw it in a book, and the thought of it never left.” 

“I don’t think it’s silly,” Anne said, sincerely. “I think dreams are wonderful, whether or not they come true. It’s always nice to dream, to aspire. If we don’t, then what else do we have? A life of cynicism? How sad.” 

Diana leaned forward, and tugged on Anne’s hair affectionately. “Anne is all about the dream! She’s constantly dreaming.”

Anne nudged her shoulder with his, and lifted her cup. “Go to Paris! Live your dreams, Gilby!” 

He laughed and nodded. “Alright, alright. I’ll go to Paris. I promise. Just don’t call me Gilby.” 

Anne smiled, pleased with his statement, and chugged the rest of her drink. Diana looked at Gilbert as he stared at her friend with clear affection, eyes roaming her face, entranced. Anne smacked Diana’s leg once she was done with her drink, and Diana yelped.

“Ow!” 

“Would you like another drink my dear bosom friend? I need a new refreshment, myself.” Anne stood up, and Dianai shook her head. “I’ll be back shortly!” 

Gilbert watched as Anne waved her hand and walked away, keeping his eye on her red hair until it disappeared into the crowd. He didn’t think that tonight would end up this way. He meant it when he said he wasn’t planning on being there tonight, but Bash had urged him to go out and have fun. And, truth be told, he had hoped to see Anne again. Wanted to see if things could be different between them. Fortunately, it seemed as though they _were_ headed towards a more amicable rapport. Maybe they could be friends. 

“You know…” 

Gilbert turned to see Diana looking at him.

“Anne can be a little guarded at first. She’s been through a lot. But once you get to know her, she’s a really loyal friend. She’s the most caring person I know. I hope you don’t fault her for how she treated you before.”

“Nah, I deserved it.” He furrowed his brows. “Well, maybe not the water in the face that first week. The other stuff was pretty fair, though. If anything...I hope she doesn’t judge me too badly. I made a lot of mistakes. She really is...unlike anyone else I’ve ever met.” He smiled softly, and thought back to their first day. The day she had introduced herself. “Anne with an E,” he murmured.

He got lost in the memory for a moment, before realizing that Diana hadn’t said anything. Gilbert looked at her, and saw a knowing look on her face. He suddenly felt embarrassed for the second time tonight, and cleared his throat. 

“Uh, I think I also need another drink.” He stood up, and looked at her. “Are you okay, here? I can wait until Anne comes back.” 

Diana shook her head, and waved her hand. “No, no! I’m fine here with these guys.” She gestured towards Winnie, Ruby, Moody, and Charlie - the four of them giggling at Moody’s inverted eyelids and silly face. “In fact, you might want to look for Anne. She tends to explore when she’s had too much to drink.” 

_Of course she does_ , he thought. He nodded, and wandered over to the kitchen, looking around for red hair as he did. After grabbing a beer from a cooler in the kitchen, he peered out the window to the backyard, and saw her. She seemed to be looking at the sky, standing out on the porch alone. Gilbert pushed his way through the crowd, and went out to meet her, the hot air hitting him in the face. 

He leaned against the porch railing beside her, mirroring her position, and looked at her closely. Her freckles illuminated by the yellow glow of the lights. 

“You okay out here?” He asked, and she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 

“Mhm. It was feeling a little crowded, and the night air called out to me!” Anne threw her arms wide open, gesturing to the backyard.

“You’re much more poetic when you’re drunk,” Gilbert remarked.

Anne hummed, and continued as if he hadn’t spoken, “I love looking at the stars during the summer. There’s something so...nostalgic about it. Reminds me of life on the farm.” 

“The farm?” 

She glanced at him, forgetting that Gilbert knew nothing about her childhood. “Oh! The farm - where I spent my formative years. Green Gables in Avonlea. A couple of hours away from here.” 

Anne thought back to that fateful day. Matthew, sent by his sister to try and find a farmhand, was instead enchanted by the freckle-faced girl. She had begged for a chance, completely enamored by the idea of working on a farm - a classic tale of adventure. Marilla was furious to say the least, but it all worked out in the end. 

“Looking at the stars, here in the city, makes me think of my parents. Makes me think of all the nights I spent looking out from my window. My home. The only home I’ve known, really.” 

He looked at her curiously. “You guys didn’t have a home before moving there?” 

“They did, but I didn’t. I’m adopted,” she elaborated.

“Oh.” 

She nodded, thinking of Marilla and Matthew at home. The two of them were mostly likely already in bed by now. “Yeah. They adopted me when I was about thirteen. I couldn’t have been more grateful. The foster care system is...well. You can imagine. So, when I met my father, Matthew, and he agreed to take me home...It was the best day of my life.”

The two of them stood there, enjoying the quiet. The beat of the music crept through the brick walls, but Gilbert focused on the sounds of the crickets nearby. The sound of cars driving past. 

“I feel the same way,” he said, and he felt Anne look at him, but he continued looking at the sky. “About the stars? I, uh, used to look at the stars at night to feel some sense of home, too. I spent a year traveling around to different countries with this organization that installed wells and irrigation systems. We went to communities that lived far away from clean water sources. Anyway...sometimes, when I felt especially homesick, I’d get out of bed, and go for a walk or sit by the window. Try to find as many constellations as possible.” 

Anne rolled her eyes. “Of _course_ you built irrigation systems in communities around the world. Have you _ever_ done anything bad in your life?” 

Gilbert chuckled. “I’m pretty sure my behavior the first few weeks of this internship is a mark against me. Or am I wrong?” 

She waved him off, and he considered what she had just told him about her childhood. He found himself explaining, “The nobility of it all makes me seem like a good person, but my reasons were selfish. I only joined because I wanted to run away. ” 

She furrowed her brows, and looked at his face. She didn’t see Gilbert as a runner. He seemed entirely too responsible for that. “What were you running away from?” 

“That’s a good question.” He thought for a moment, the answer too big to describe in a few words. “I guess...I mean, as cliché as it sounds, I guess I was running away from...life. Responsibilities. Reality.” He started peeling at the label of the bottle in his hands. “I was eighteen. My dad...had just passed. I graduated early to take care of him, and then when he was gone...I didn’t see a point in staying. Mom died when I was a little kid, so...I know the feeling. The feeling of not having a home. At least, for a little while.” 

Anne looked at his profile. The somber expression and the curls on his forehead made him look younger, somehow. “I am so sorry.” 

“It’s alright. Happened a while ago.” Gilbert shrugged. 

Anne was struck by the thought of a young Gilbert— pushing himself to graduate early, only to be alone at eighteen. Forced to move straight into adulthood, without a parent. It was no wonder he was such a pragmatist. Ever the problem-solver. 

“Well…” Anne started, “I never met my parents, but it doesn’t stop the sadness I feel when I think about them. I can’t imagine the pain I’d feel if they had actually been in my life before I lost them.”

Gilbert felt his throat bob, and his heart clench. He cleared his throat and forced a laugh. “Yeah...” His jaw twitched. “It became pretty clear that running away from grief wasn’t an option. It still catches up to me, every once in a while.”

He stood up, and leaned against the wooden post closest to him, and batted at the fairy lights swinging in his face. Anne sat on the railing and faced him. Gilbert continued, “But it’s easier now, and it all ended okay. I met my brother during that trip. Bash. We hit it off, and he took me under his wing. He’s the reason I moved to Charlottetown.” 

“Oh?” Anne watched as Gilbert smiled, as if he could see his history playing out before him - his gaze unfocused.

“Yeah. He fell in love with one of the team leaders on our trip, and the two of them got married as soon as we were back in Canada. His wife, Mary, is from here. So, once I graduated from the University of Toronto, I decided to move in with them. Be with my family.” 

“A found family,” Anne whispered, and he looked at her and nodded. “How wonderful.”

“Yeah...I, uh, don’t know what I would have done without them.” 

Anne thought of Matthew and Marilla, and how she had the very same thought about them all the time. “I get that.” 

“I figured you would.” He gave her a lopsided grin. “It seems we have more in common than we thought.” 

That was a lie. Gilbert had always felt they had some sort of connection, but he didn’t know what exactly. Was still figuring it out. 

Anne squinted her eyes at him. “Hmmm. I guess so.” She raised her drink to him, as if making a toast. “To kindred spirits!” 

He bowed his head, and raised his bottle. “To kindred spirits.” 

They both took a sip, and continued to look at the other. Gilbert admired the softness of her expression, a look rarely directed towards him. Anne dropped her eyes to her cup. 

“I guess I can’t really loathe a kindred spirit,” she said, eyes still on her hands, “Which means I have to offer a truce.” 

Gilbert raised his eyebrows, overplaying his shock. “A truce? _Wow_. I never thought I’d see the day.” 

She rolled her eyes hard. “Do you want the truce or not?” 

He raised his hands, surrendering. “I’m just saying! I’m surprised.” He dropped his arms, and put a hand on his chest. “I will _gladly_ take the truce. I know better than to cross Anne Shirley-Cuthbert. Well. _Now,_ I do.” 

Anne felt a twinge of guilt at the thought of all of their squabbles. Thought back to the accusations she made not two days ago. All of the accusations that turned out to be wrong. Gilbert wasn’t selfish or conniving. Not at all. In that moment, she vowed to make things right between them. She would give him the benefit of the doubt. Now that she knew his heart was in the right place. 

“Good!” She hopped off of the railing, and presented him with her hand. He looked at it, and laughed, but took it. Shook her hand firmly with mock seriousness. Ignored the warmth of her hand in his. Ignored the instinct to interlace their fingers, and hold on to her hand for as long as she would let him. 

“‘Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,’” Anne said. 

“That was the _worst_ Humphrey Bogart impression I have ever heard,” Gilbert countered.

Anne started walking towards the door. “Do you always have to be so critical?” 

He followed her. “I’m just saying. You have to put more swagger into it if you’re going to quote _Casablanca_.” 

“Put more _swagger_ into it?” She laughed, “What the hell does that even mean?” 

“I thought you weren’t going to bicker with me tonight.” 

The two of them paused in front of the door. Anne turned around, her hand on the knob, the pulse of the music beating through. She looked up at Gilbert’s face, and felt a warmth grow in her chest. 

“Yeah, well. Old habits die hard, I guess.” Anne replied. 

Gilbert grinned, and she felt the warmth spread through her sternum, pressing into her lungs. Anticipation —- the giddy kind of eagerness — for what, she didn’t know. But it felt significant, whatever it was. This moment between them.

After a final teasing look, Anne opened the door to let him in, and his grin widened, eyes steady on her face as he walked inside.


	3. You Can't Ignore it Forever

After Josie’s party, the PEIPA intern offices were significantly more amicable, much to everyone’s joy (except Billy, of course - but they managed to work around him). The atmosphere was hectic, but pleasantly so. An energy resulting from a job well-done. 

Their Climate Change initiative, ‘Dreamers Make Change Happen’ - a name that Philipps absolutely abhorred, much to Anne’s glee - was going surprisingly well. They managed to create a plan that utilized their teams’ strengths — Ka’kwet and Winnie led school presentations with Ruby sweet talking the school members and Moody entertaining them with his banjo. Josie led everyone else — networking with their donors and the schools’ business partnerships. 

Their success had everything to do with the new dynamic between the head interns. It was jarring, at first, to see Anne take Gilbert’s suggestions with genuine interest. But, soon enough, they got used to it. They knew what issues to bring to Gilbert and which ones to bring to Anne. Anticipated any possible feedback that may be given. The atmosphere had changed from dreary and tense to warm and collaborative. It was the spark that they needed. The interns were an unstoppable team.

There was only one downside to this development. With the much closer and collaborative atmosphere, the interns were forced to witness Anne and Gilbert’s easy back-and-forth _nonstop_. It didn’t bother them at first. In fact, several of them enjoyed the banter. They laughed at the quips and the sparing and the flirtatious interactions (not that either of them knew they were flirting of course). Ka’kwet slyly whispered to Winnie that it was like watching a romcom happen in real time, to which Winnie replied - “Well I wish it would happen a little faster!” 

However, as the weeks passed, the head interns became _very_ close. Almost...irritatingly so. 

The other interns watched as the two moved through topics at lightning speed, bickering about things that didn’t matter.

*********

_“It’s just abysmal! The state of our media today. Constantly scrolling through our phones, and binging hours and hours of television,” Anne muttered, as she looked through the organization’s social media accounts._

_“You_ _just_ _binged the newest season of Queer Eye in one day. You said that it made you cry endlessly at the beauty of human nature,” Gilbert rebutted._

_“Yes I did, and I stand by that statement,” Anne had responded, rolling her eyes. “Just because I participate in our society doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to critique it!”_

_Gilbert snorted. “Well, maybe once you become a writer someone will make a TV show based on your stories, and it’ll improve the television landscape.”_

_Anne’s face had glowed. “I know you’re joking, but someone being inspired by my writing would be so flattering, and I dream of the day that people write fiction inspired by me.”_

_Her eyes glazed over, and Gilbert gave her a look of admiration. “I look forward to the day that Anne Shirley-Cuthbert’s work takes over the world.”_

_Working at the desk sandwiched between where Anne and Gilbert stood, Charlie and Moody shared a look of annoyance. It was late afternoon and they’d witnessed too much of this rapport already._

_Anne cocked her head and raised an eyebrow. “You say that, and yet you still think the last draft of our upcoming media post was too ‘verbose,’ right?”_

_His look of admiration shifted to weariness. “Okay, but we don’t_ _need_ _your paragraph about intersectional feminism in our flyer about climate change.”_

_“But, it’s important and relevant!”_

_“How is that relevant to our program?”_

_“Haven’t you heard of environmental racism?”_

_Gilbert rolled his eyes, “Of course I have. It was hard to ignore when building accessible water supplies around the world.”_

_“Uggghhhh, of course you would bring that up.”_

_“Obviously intersectional feminism is incredibly important. I understand how you connected it. In fact,” Gilbert furrowed his brows, “it was quite impressive how you managed to tie it in.”_

_“Thank you!” Anne beamed, but Gilbert continued._

_“However - !”_

_“UGH!”_ _  
_

_Moody’s leg started bouncing and Charlie tried to cover his ears as Anne and Gilbert’s voices got louder, the two of them standing over Moody and Charlie’s shoulders._ _  
_

_“ - Environmental racism and intersectional feminism are not the same thing. I won’t argue against keeping a bullet-point about environmental racism, if that’s what you want.”_

_“Only a bullet-point?”_

_“It’s a flyer Anne, not an op-ed.”_

_“Enough!” Moody shouted, throwing his pen down. “Please! Some of us are trying to edit here.”_

_“And some of us have to work through a_ _multitude_ _of notes from our supervisor,” Charlie muttered, glaring at his screen._

_Gilbert looked down, chagrined, while Anne rolled her eyes, annoyed. “Sorry,” the two mumbled._

*********

And though several of them found most of Anne’s tirades to be amusing, they didn’t _love_ when Gilbert would get Anne started at the least convenient times.

*********

_“I just think that Classics are still an essential part of a literacy curriculum,” Gilbert leaned back in his chair._

_“No, no, no,” Anne shook her head and put down her pen. “I’m not disagreeing with you. I’m saying that the Classics are important, but why do students have to read a million stories about White boys trying to find themselves? Their experiences are_ _not_ _universal.”_

_“True. Very true. Not to mention they aren’t the most engaging,” Gilbert added, and Anne nodded. Then, he asked, “Well, then, Professor Shirley-Cuthbert, what should they read?”_

_“There are_ _so_ _many choices! Contemporary and classic pieces written by authors of color, poetry, books in verse…”_

_“Okay, so, pick three standard curriculum choices to take out, and tell me your replacements.”_

_“Only three?!”_

_“That makes it more fun!”_

_Josie groaned and the two of them looked over to the other interns. “It’s currently 5:45 and I would really like to go home soon. So_ _maybe_ _you two could stop your nerd-fest, so we can finish this report.”_

_“Yeah, this conversation is all super cute and whatever,” Ka’kwet added, “But I’m starving and my brain is melting.”_

_Anne’s face had turned bright red, and Gilbert looked at them annoyed._

*********

Even during their very limited downtime, there was no respite from the intellectual challenges that Anne frequently threw at Gilbert. 

*********

_Anne turned from her spot by the window, during lunch. “This storm makes me think of_ _Wuthering Heights_ _\- so dark and gorgeous and sinister. Heathcliff and Catherine, so desperately tragic! You want to root for them, but at the same time you wonder if they’re worth rooting for at all. They’re consumed by one another, and it all ends so sadly. Is that what romance truly is? A deep and ugly thing? You think it should be the bright spot of a person’s life. But what if it’s that darkness that makes their love so deep? Does love have to be so tragic?”_

_There was a beat of silence. “Oh, Anne,” Ruby giggled, “There are so many times when you say something, and I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about!”_

_Anne shifted her gaze to Ruby before she smiled. Then she turned to Gilbert, who was chewing on an apple next to Moody. “What do you think, Gilbert?”_

_He frowned momentarily, then quoted, smugly, “‘If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger.’”_

_Anne tried to hide how impressed she was, and countered, “Excellent quote, however, that is not an opinion.”_

_“The quote supports the argument I’m about to make!” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and responded, “Their love was...immense, and the characters are dark and deeply flawed. Despite that, I think the abundance of love they had for the other was enviable, to an extent. A love like theirs...if nurtured in a healthy way, would be incredible. To love someone so fully, to feel as though the world would be duller without their existence...Isn’t that what everyone wants out of romance? To meet a person, and have their whole world turned upside down? Now whether or not the tragedy is necessary - I don’t think that’s the case...but they did really love each other, and pain is a part of any relationship. They felt a connection that everyone searches for, even to this day.”_

_“Laaaaaaame,” Billy yelled, and Winnie threw a peanut at him that landed right in his eye._

_Gilbert ignored him, and leaned back, biting into his apple again, lost in thought. Anne’s eyes shone at his words, and Ka’kwet shot a knowing look towards Ruby who hid a giggle behind her hand._

*********

Despite these irritations, the group of interns couldn’t stay mad at them for very long. Anne was an incredible supervisor, empathetic and brilliant. Gilbert’s calm demeanor and quick problem-solving made even the most overwhelming workload seem feasible. Plus, to lessen the burden on their teams, and to make up for their bickering, Anne and Gilbert picked up a lot of the extra slack. 

It led to a lot of late nights for the two head interns. Not that Gilbert cared. In fact, if pushing work to the side during the day meant more time with Anne later on, then he wasn’t opposed to dragging his feet. It gave him more time to notice all of the little things that made Anne so...Anne. When she was stressed, she would play with her hair, twirling or braiding it. He knew whenever she got an upsetting email because a small crease would form between her brows, and she would jut out her bottom lip ever so slightly. He knew when to give her space to work out her anger when she started quoting Shakespeare, a sign that she was a little too far gone. 

His favorite Anne-ism, though, was when she was exceptionally pleased with something - whether it be good news or a witty joke or an idea of her own. He’d watch as her eyes would get bigger, and her cheeks would get pink, her smile so wide it made his heart clench every time. Her excitement brimming to the surface, causing her to bounce in her chair or jiggle her leg or clap her hands. 

Gilbert came into work eager to see her, a balloon expanding in his chest when she walked in each morning. Any time he said something that she enjoyed, he felt a surge of pride that lasted the rest of the day. What started as a mere curiosity, flourished into a full-blown infatuation. A strictly _platonic_ infatuation of course. He and Anne were still coworkers, and he had _just_ gotten her to trust him. He told himself that it was normal to be excited to see a friend. It was normal to enjoy seeing a friend be happy, and to feel giddy around said friend. 

(Perhaps it wasn’t normal to admire the freckles on a friend’s face and imagine stroking her cheek. To think about the way her hair was a myriad of colors in the sun. Maybe it wasn’t normal to wonder what it would be like to take a friend out to a fancy dinner. To resist calling your friend before going to bed so that she could be the last thing you hear before going to sleep. Perhaps that was abnormal, but Gilbert was good at ignoring thoughts like that.) 

He considered what was and wasn’t normal as Anne ranted about Charlie’s sloppy editing work. The two of them were packing up after a particularly late day, both of them completely exhausted, and yet he felt a sense of dread at the thought of saying goodnight. That was a normal thing to feel, right? For a friend? Like a string was tugging at your heart whenever you went your separate ways?

“I mean - I just don’t understand _how_ Charlie was even accepted into this position. He is entirely too comfortable with using commas instead of periods, and yet _he’s_ an editor!” 

Anne grabbed the last stack of folders on her desk and shoved them into her work bag. Gilbert sighed and said, teasingly, “Well, you could offer him some help. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind spending extra time with you.” 

“Uggghhh, don’t even remind me,” Anne said, and he laughed. She cringed at the memory of Charlie suggesting that the two of them grab dinner some time. Anne had played dumb, grabbing the person closest to her at the time and asked if they would like grabbing dinner with them, too. Unfortunately that person had been Gilbert, and he wouldn’t let her live it down. 

(Gilbert ignored the fact that he liked Charlie a lot less since that moment.) 

The two walked in a comfortable silence to their cars, taking their time, shoulders brushing against each other. In the parking lot Anne waved her goodbye, and unlocked her small, clunky ride. She sighed as she sank into her seat, closing her eyes for a second. Letting the tension leak out of her muscles. When she started her car, she saw Gilbert backing out from his spot, and even from far away she could see the cut of his jaw and the mess of curls that were getting a little too long on top. She smiled when he saw her looking, and he waved one last time before driving off. Anne leaned her head back and watched his car through the rear view mirror, as his image got smaller and smaller.

There had been a moment, about an hour or so ago, Anne had almost asked Gilbert to dinner. Diana was going to be home late. She didn’t want to cook anything at their home. She was exhausted. And so, she had opened her mouth to ask Gilbert if he felt like grabbing something. But, right as she was about to ask, she had a very startling and unwelcome thought. What if she asked him and it sounded like more than dinner? What if she asked and he thought it was...a date? 

The thought shook her equilibrium, and she chided her brain for thinking such a silly thing at all. Men and women go out to dinner platonically all the time. She had gone to dinner with men platonically before. She just didn’t want to give him the wrong idea, but didn’t know how to clarify without making it weird. What if she said something and he hadn’t even thought of the possibility? But she couldn’t risk it, could she? Anne didn’t want to date him. Did she? No. Well…she was sure _he_ didn’t want to date _her_. 

Right? 

There _were_ times when she’d catch him looking at her a certain way…And objectively speaking, Gilbert was a very handsome person. She could admit that. As a friend. But, that also meant that asking Gilbert to dinner, seeing him outside of work...it felt different.

Anne simply enjoyed spending time with him! That was it! Nothing else! She liked their honest conversations, which at times were serious, but were more often than not, lighthearted and engaging. Though she and Gilbert got along, there was still that spirit of competitiveness. The thrill of a challenge. 

Before it had frustrated her. Now, she actually liked having intellectual debates with him. She liked listening to him drone on about the state of medical research. And surprisingly, whatever the topic of conversation, being around Gilbert made Anne feel safe. He never judged her, and often understood the feelings and thoughts she left unspoken. She hadn’t met a person like that since Diana, so many years ago. Gilbert had become more than a coworker. He was a friend, a confidante. Someone she could rely on. Someone she cared about. 

All of these thoughts swirled in her head as she tried to sort through the implication of a simple dinner invite. She had gotten so wrapped up in it that Gilbert asked if she was feeling okay. To which she sputtered some sort of affirmative noise, and ran out of the room to get her shit together.

Suffice it to say, Anne would be eating dinner alone tonight. 

She groaned and started her car, making her way to the closest convenience store. As she drove, Anne came to the conclusion that she was being silly. Going to dinner with a handsome person didn’t constitute a date. Especially if said handsome person didn’t see her in any sort of romantic way. Not that _she_ saw _him_ in a romantic way...other than the fact that he _looked_ like a hero from a romance novel. But that was just a fact, nothing else. 

Her phone pinged, and Anne glanced at her console. A message from Gilbert. Of course - a cruel joke from the universe. She waited until she pulled into the store’s parking lot to read it.

_[Message from Gilbert]: Hey! I think I grabbed your USB on the way out. This is it, right?_

_[Attachment sent]_

“Fuck!” Anne said, as she looked at the picture. It was indeed hers, and she really needed to look at some of the drafts on it tonight. 

_[Message from Anne]: Fuuuuuuuuuck. Yes. That is mine._

_[Message from Gilbert]: Sorry! I don’t even know how that happened._

_[GIF sent]_

_[Message from Anne]: You know how I feel about gifs of crying babies like that!_

_[Message from Anne]: Very cringe!!_

_[Message from Anne]: Obvz it’s fine. Not mad at you._

_[Message from Anne]: But I was going to go over some stuff on it tonight. Maybe we can come in early tomorrow??? I’ll bring you coffee_

_[Message from Gilbert]: We can, or I can bring it to you right now. Just send me your address._

Anne tapped on her steering wheel and considered her options. She didn’t want him to wait around for her to get home. Going to him made the most sense. Or going into work early, but she had been seriously struggling to get up lately.

_[Message from Anne]: I’m out trying to find some dinner. I can grab something and then meet you at yours when I’m done._

_[Message from Gilbert]: You don’t have dinner?_

_[Message from Gilbert]: You’re welcome to eat here. Mary always makes extra. Plus it’s my fault you don’t have your USB._

Anne hesitated. She _hated_ imposing.

_[Message from Gilbert]: I know you think you’re imposing. You aren’t. At all._

_[Message from Gilbert]: Mary specifically said to invite you._

She hated that he knew her so well. Eating dinner with his family in their home was probably _not_ the best idea tonight, considering how she had spiraled about the state of their friendship less than an hour ago. Her thumbs hovered over the keyboard, ready to type out an excuse. Before she could answer, another message came in.

_[Message from Gilbert]: Please?_

Anne felt the too-familiar warmth spread through her chest, a sensation that was starting to happen a little too often. She sighed and cursed Gilbert Blythe for making her feel some sort of way. 

_[Message from Anne]: Send me your address and tell Mary that I am eternally grateful!!!!!_

* * *

“You must be Anne! Welcome, welcome! Come on in!” 

Anne smiled at the man she recognized as Bash - from his big smile and his curly black hair. The two had never met before, but Gilbert had shown her pictures of his family - the three of them working on irrigation systems, the three of them at Gilbert’s college graduation. Gilbert holding Bash and Mary’s baby girl, Delphine. 

As Anne walked in, Bash took her bag from her, and set it in the foyer. 

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said, politely, and Bash’s smile grew even more. 

“The feeling is mutual. Gilbert talks about you nonstop. I feel like I know you already!” Bash leaned in closer, and whispered, “Good on you for putting that boy in his place. His vision gets so _narrow_ sometimes. Like tunnel vision. His intentions are always good, but—” 

“Bash!” 

Gilbert walked in, Delphine on his hip, to see a red-faced Anne and a grinning Bash. He only heard the tail-end of what Bash had said, and he wondered if inviting Anne over was a mistake. 

“I’m not telling her anything she doesn’t already know,” Bash said. Gilbert gave him a look, and Anne walked closer, cooing at the baby in Gilbert’s arms. 

“Is this Delphine? Oh my goodness, she is so _precious_. Look at her chubby cheeks!” 

Gilbert smiled proudly at the praise, as Anne leaned close to the gurgling Delly in his arms. Delly laughed, and Anne leaned in closer, her hair tickling Gilbert’s cheek, and the smell of her flowery shampoo enveloping him. She was so close he wondered if she could hear his heart thudding in his chest. 

He looked over her head to see his brother giving him a knowing look. Bash raised his eyebrows suggestively, and Gilbert gave him a look of annoyance. He concluded then and there that inviting Anne over while Bash was home was _definitely_ a mistake. 

“Here, let me introduce you to Mary. She’s the nicer of the two,” Gilbert suggested, leading Anne into the kitchen. Bash laughed at the snipe, and followed behind them. 

As he led her further into the house, Anne marveled at the warmth of the home, from the paint on the walls and the love from the people living in it. In the kitchen stood Mary, even more beautiful in person. She turned at the sound of footsteps, and a big smile crossed her face. Mary stepped away from the stovetop, and wrapped Anne in a hug. “I am so glad you agreed to join us tonight.” 

Anne blushed even more, pleased by the attention. “Thank you so much for inviting me. I was planning on buying a sandwich or a frozen pizza. A home cooked meal is significantly better.” 

“Well,” Mary replied, squeezing Anne’s hands, “You are _more_ than welcome here. Any friend of Gilbert is a friend of ours. Besides! He talks about you all the time, it’s almost like you have dinner with us every night.” 

Mary smirked, and winked at Gilbert as Anne chuckled, awkwardly. His eyes widened, and he heard Bash walk up behind him, then felt a hand clap his shoulder. 

“She’s not wrong,” Bash quietly said, taking Delly from his arms and placing her in her high chair. 

Anne, thankfully, decided to ignore the last comment, and offered to help Gilbert set the table, while Mary moved the food over to the dining room. Bash started feeding the baby, and soon they were all eating dinner, laughing and talking, as if this wasn’t their first dinner together, but one of many. Gilbert watched as all of them chatted, familiar already, and felt unusually pleased that Anne was fitting in so well in his home. It shouldn’t really matter, but...it did. 

While the adults chatted after their meal, Delly started fussing with her food, green mush smeared all over her cheeks and the table of her chair. 

“I see she’s not a fan of the green stuff, eh?” Gilbert said, affectionately. 

“Nope!” Mary sighed, frustrated. “I’ve even tried some homemade food, but she is not having any of it.”

“You know, I actually have some homemade baby food recipes. I’ve gotten even the pickiest of babies to eat the stuff. I can jot them down for you?” Anne offered. 

Mary and Bash looked at her, surprised. “You have younger siblings? How do you know so many baby food recipes?” Bash asked.

Anne shook her head. “Nope! I grew up in the foster care system, and stayed in a few homes with babies. I was usually the oldest kid there, so I picked up a lot of the slack around the house.” She turned and reached a finger out to Delly, and gave her a soft smile. “So, if you ever have any baby concerns, I’ve probably dealt with it before.”

Bash’s expression dimmed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to —“ 

But before he could continue, Anne waved off his apology. “Nothing to be sorry about! Besides, I ended up with the _best_ parents in the world.” She paused, and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms in thought. “I was taken in by siblings - the only ones left of their family. Matthew only took me because I had _begged_ to live on a farm, but when I finally got to Green Gables, it was like we were made to be together. Three kindred spirits.” Anne smiled warmly. “So, despite the foster care system being less than ideal, I’m happy with where I ended up. It led to my home.”

All of this was said with such genuine optimism, something so positively Anne, it made Gilbert smile. He looked over and saw Mary and Bash doing the same. 

“I think we can relate to that experience,” Mary said. She leaned over and squeezed Gilbert’s arm, lovingly. 

“I found my brother and my wife all on one trip,” Bash replied, “It’s a beautiful thing, isn’t it? To find your people, unexpectedly.”

“The most beautiful thing I’ve yet to experience!” Anne said, resting her chin in her hand. 

Gilbert smirked. “Last week you said the most beautiful thing you’d experienced was a spiritual connection with a fox while on a nature trail.”

Anne rolled her eyes, and shoved his shoulder. “Okay, _yes_ , that was true at the time. Maybe I just see more beauty in the world than you do, Gilbert Blythe.” She stuck her tongue out, and he laughed. 

“Oh, I have no doubt about that. You see the world in a way that’s all your own.”

She eyed him, suspiciously. “Is that a swipe at me?”

He sat up and shook his head vigorously. “Not at all! You see the world in a way that is _distinctly_ Anne. It’s admirable. I think the world would be a better place if more people thought like you,” Gilbert said, earnestly. He looked at her, with his trademark grin. “It would definitely be more interesting.”

Anne felt her cheeks warm for what felt like the hundredth time that night.

It was quiet after that. Mary and Bash looked at the two smitten young adults, sitting across from them. Bash sat up with a sly look, “Blythe, why don’t you take her out to the backyard? Show her Mary’s garden. Get some of her farming tips.”

“I’ve been trying to get some veggies to grow, but they are damn stubborn,” Mary stated, shaking her head. 

Anne started piling the plates on the table. “At least let me help you clean up!” 

Gilbert stood, too, doing the same, but Bash brushed off their help. “No, no, no. It’s fine! I want you to see our flower section back there. The veggies are struggling, but the flowers are beautiful.”

Anne perked up at the suggestion, but still hesitated. She didn’t want to be rude. “At least let me bring these plates to the sink and get them soaking. Then, I would _love_ to see your garden.” 

Anne immediately stacked as many plates as possible and carried them into the kitchen. Gilbert went to follow her, but Bash nudged his arm. 

“Take her by the Mums. _Very_ romantic.”

Gilbert’s jaw dropped as he looked at Mary incredulously, and she seemed to debate whether or not she should say something. Eventually, she shrugged, and said, “The Mums really are lovely. Oh! Or the Snapdragons. Gorgeous,” Mary swayed with a dreamy look on her face, and hmmed, “Flowers in the moonlight...”

Bash nodded, and added, “That’s what I’m _saying..._ ”

Gilbert cut them off, “Please stop. We’re _friends_. And that’s it.”

Bash looked at him as if he were stupid, and Mary tried to hide her look of disbelief behind her hand, scratching the side of her head.

“Besides!” Gilbert sputtered, “We _work_ together. That would — I mean, it’s unprofessional!”

Bash opened his mouth to respond, but stopped once he heard Anne come back. 

“Okay, the dishes are soaking, and I wiped off the counters in there as well. I hope that’s okay.”

Mary walked over to her. “It’s more than okay! You really didn’t need to do anything. As our guest, I insist you relax. If you want to see the garden, it’s through the back door down that hall.” 

Anne looked at Gilbert expectantly, and over her shoulder Bash gave him a look. Gilbert’s gaze went back to Anne’s and he nodded his head towards the backdoor. Once she passed his shoulder, Gilbert flicked a middle finger towards Bash and followed her out. He heard his brother chuckle as they walked away. 

He opened the back door for Anne, and she walked around the small garden. Gilbert hung back on one of their old, metal chairs. It wasn’t much, really, since their house was still within the city. But the small backyard area had a few different vegetable boxes and some bushes of flowers in between. Anne examined the flowers closely, almost reverently. 

Gilbert replayed the conversation with Mary and Bash. He couldn’t believe the two of them - insisting that he make things romantic with Anne. They were _friends_! And they had _just_ started being friends. It was ridiculous. They were ridiculous. 

“I should let you in on a secret,” Anne said, as she made her way back, taking the seat across from him. Gilbert raised his brow, waiting for her to continue. 

She leaned in, and whispered with mock seriousness, “I don’t actually have any gardening tips. I just wanted to see the flowers.” 

He breathed out a laugh. “It’s okay. I won’t tell Mary.”

“This garden really is pretty, though. I’ve always wanted a garden like this. Unfortunately that’s not possible in the shoebox of an apartment that Diana and I share,” Anne sighed, “But maybe someday. When I’m years into an amazing writing career, and I have enough money to buy a house with a yard. Maybe even have a cat or two.” 

“I bet your house would have an amazing garden,” Gilbert said, truthfully. He paused, trying to see it clearly in his mind. “It would _overflow_ with plants. Along with books, of course. Lots of bookshelves in the house. Patterned wallpaper, and yellow painted walls. A well-lit sunroom. Comfortable couches where you can read on the weekends, of course. Vases of flowers all over. Dried plants hanging everywhere.” 

He looked over to Anne, and she looked at him with wide eyes, and he suddenly felt self-conscious. “What? Am I totally off?” 

Anne took a breath, ignoring how stuttered it was while she exhaled. She shook her head gently, “No. Not at all. That sounds...really, really lovely. Like a beautiful dream.” 

He smiled in return, and the two of them held the other’s gaze. Gilbert swallowed, feeling his pulse quicken as he continued looking at her. He could picture that future so clearly for her - Anne walking around a warm, bright house with a cup of tea in her hands. She would wander into the sunroom, and maybe...Gilbert would be there. 

Maybe he would be reading in the dining room or making them breakfast or coming back from a jog. Anne would be a writer, and he would finally be working in the science field, somehow. They would see Mary and Bash on the weekends, to visit or to take care of Delly. 

All of it - the visions clear and fast - flashed through his mind, forcing him to picture it. A future with Anne. The two of them, together. 

Anne looked away first, and started playing with the leaves closest to her, humming to herself. Behind them, Gilbert could hear the sound of running water coming from the kitchen. Bash making unintelligible words to Delphine. Mary laughing at his antics. 

In the tranquility, Gilbert was struck by the enormity of this envisioned future. By all of the feelings he had been trying to keep packed away.

He liked Anne. 

As more than a friend. Liked her in a way that his brain couldn’t process right now. It was deep and consuming, and he couldn’t let it go. Strangely, Gilbert felt his body relax, as if this realization finally allowed him some peace.

He really, _really_ liked Anne. 

She turned back to look at him, a delicate flower in her hand. Anne nodded her head towards the house, “You ready?” 

It took a moment for him to process her question. He took a breath, grounding himself in the present. Here, he and Anne were coworkers. Here, at this moment, they were slowly becoming _friends_. And that was it.

Anne looked up at him, her eyes reflecting the moonlight, a smile on her face. 

She was a friend. A friend who made his world brighter, just by being in it. A friend who turned his world upside down. 

_I’m an idiot,_ he thought. Gilbert stood up.

“Yeah, I’m ready.” 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a lot of fun to write! I hope the structural aspects of the chapter weren't too disorienting. I was so stuck on how to add in those little office moments, and writing it through the lens of their coworkers made this so much funnier to me. I hope you enjoyed it!


	4. It's You and Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please forgive typos or errors. I've looked over this chapter so many times it's making my eyes spin. 
> 
> (That should tell you something about what you're about to read.)

“I have to say Anne, this program has been one of the most successful ones we have launched since this branch’s opening. I’m very impressed,” Ms. Stacy said, smiling warmly. 

Since learning about Mr. Philipp’s horrid behavior, she had requested to meet with Anne one-on-one to supervise her progress. Anne found Ms. Stacy to be one of the most inspiring women she had yet to meet. She looked forward to their biweekly meetings, and today was no exception. The only disappointment was that this one would be their last. The interns’ final day was fast approaching, and with less work there was no need for her and Ms. Stacy to meet again.

“Really?” Anne asked, and watched as her mentor nodded. She felt a swell of pride in her chest at the compliment, and said, “Well, I really appreciate the opportunity to supervise the execution. My team and I have _really_ enjoyed it. Well.” Billy’s face, perpetually bored, popped into her mind, and she cringed. “Most of the team, anyway.” 

Ms. Stacy chuckled. “I’m glad to hear that considering my next proposition for you.”

“Oh?” Anne’s curiosity piqued. 

“With the name ‘Dreamers Make Change Happen,’ I feel like we could launch a variety of programs that align with our broader goals,” she said, looking at Anne. “And, you’ve expressed interest in staying with our organization. There’s space here as an associate program manager. You would be handling the same responsibilities, along with working with others on old and new projects. Is that something that might interest you?” 

Anne was silent for a moment, her jaw slack. All of the hard work. All of the frustration and late nights and patience. They actually paid off. She pinched her wrist and hid the accompanying flinch. Suddenly, the words couldn’t come out fast enough.

“I have a _whole_ folder _full_ of ideas on my computer. I was thinking that we could make the programs seasonal? Summer dedicated to our Climate Change initiative. Maybe Winter could be dedicated to creating solutions to help the homeless within the city. Fall...well there are so many possibilities, I mean accessible healthcare goes along with seasonal allergies and vaccinations. Or -” 

Ms. Stacy laughed, cutting her off and asking, “So, I take it that’s a yes? You’ll join our team?” 

She nodded emphatically and tried to focus as Ms. Stacy discussed the contract negotiation process and the benefits included in her hiring packet. It was a lot of information and Anne would have to go through it again on her own because currently her heart was doing somersaults. She floated back down to her office about twenty minutes later, still riding high from their conversation. When she walked towards her desk, Anne barely registered Gilbert sitting in his own chair, looking at her closely. 

She sank into her chair with a dazed expression and a slight smile. 

“Did everything go well in your meeting?” Gilbert asked, amused, and with that her eyes flicked over to him. She sat up and blinked several times. 

“Yes! Uh, yeah...It…” Anne glanced at the door. Ms. Stacy suggested they keep it all under wraps for now, wait for the contract to be finalized. She wanted to announce it together to the rest of the team. But this was Gilbert. He wasn’t the rest of the team. He was _Gilbert_. 

Anne scurried to the door, closing it gently before standing by his chair. She took a breath and said, “You _cannot_ tell anyone what I’m about to tell you.” 

His brows furrowed. “Uhhh, okay.” 

“Swear!” She stuck her pinky out, and he rolled his eyes. 

“Seriously?” 

Anne nodded, and he sighed. He hooked his pinky with hers and she muttered something about a solemn oath before releasing his finger. He waited, and she smiled widely. 

“There’s an open associate project manager position, and Ms. Stacy asked _me_ if I wanted it. _And!_ She wants to make our program year-round. _Year-round_! Can you believe it?!” 

Anne watched him process her words, his expression quickly changing from hesitant to shocked to beaming. A full faced smile that seemed so rare on Gilbert that Anne nearly looked away, as if his joy was too intimate to witness. He leapt out of his chair, sweeping her up into a strong embrace, jolting her out of the moment. She squealed and the two of them laughed, the two of them nearly falling over from the force. 

When he pulled away, he saw her face was bright red. Felt her hands lightly rested on his shoulders, his hands tight around her waist. He swallowed, as her hands seemed to spasm. Anne tucked her fists close to her chest and told herself _not_ to look at his mouth (which she did, of course). She abruptly stepped away, plopping herself down in the chair next to his desk. Her movement was so quick, Gilbert stood lost for a second, before shaking his head slightly and moving back to his own chair. 

The two of them sat and looked at each other, their faces slightly pink. Eventually, with a trace of his smile lingering on his face, Gilbert said, “PEI is _very_ lucky to have Anne Shirley-Cuthbert in their realm of politics.”

She snorted and rolled her eyes. “I don’t know about all of PEI. We only focus on Charlottetown, you know.”

But he was quick to shake his head. “If I’ve learned anything, it’s to never underestimate your influence. You’re incredible, you know. And you’re willing to use that to help other people. So yeah, I’d say all of PEI is pretty damn lucky.”

Gilbert often complimented Anne in between their squabbling. Not for any disingenuous motives - he simply viewed his praise as fact. So, Gilbert was used to her rolling her eyes and dismissing his words. Deflecting everything with a joke. But today was different. She looked at him with a brightness in her eye, and a look of hope on her face. Looking at him as though she wanted to agree. Hoping he was right. 

From his seat, he thought about reaching out and squeezing her hands in his. He wanted to reassure her that she was truly _brilliant_. No matter what anyone else said - past, present, or future - he was certain that Anne Shirley-Cuthbert’s genius was concrete. 

He clenched his fists and grabbed the nearest pen, fiddling with it between his fingers. 

“I guess this means you’ll have a new office mate.” He looked at her teasingly. “Maybe I should warn them.”

Her eyebrows shot up and she gave him a challenging look. “Ha! I am the epitome of a world-class office mate, thank you very much.”

Gilbert scrunched his nose and glanced at her disorganized desk. 

“My mess is contained to my area _only_ , so...that’s a positive,” she replied without looking over her shoulder.

Gilbert looked at her with mock seriousness. “What about the singing?”

Her jaw dropped. “I barely hum above a whisper!”

“Maybe to you. _You_ have headphones on when you hum. I just hope they like show tunes.”

Anne crossed her arms, sitting up straight. “I would be honored to introduce the world of broadway to them.”

Gilbert couldn’t help but laugh, and she grinned. 

“Besides,” she continued, “You _know_ you’ll miss me. There’s no way _your_ new coworkers will be nearly as fun as me.”

She joked, but the comment made his chest tight. His new coworkers. Because in two weeks, he and Anne won’t be working together anymore. They wouldn’t be seeing each other every day. He felt his face drop, and he swallowed, trying to recover quickly. 

Anne noticed of course, and she looked at him concerned. “What? What’s wrong?”

Gilbert shook his head quickly and smiled tightly. “Nothing! No, it’s nothing. Just made me think of something else.”

They were quiet for a moment and he turned his attention to the pen in his hand - the cap still bent from when Anne chucked it at him for saying that Gothic novels were overrated.

“Gilbert.” 

He looked up, and saw her frowning at him. Anne took a deep breath and leaned her forearms on his desk. She looked at him with wide eyes, and said, “I’m sorry. You must be so stressed about applying to other jobs and hearing back about interviews. Duh!! I was being unbelievably thoughtless!”

“No! No, Anne, that’s —“ 

_What?_ He thought. _How should I explain it? No Anne, that’s not it. I’m sad because the thought of not having a reason to see you everyday makes me want to crawl into bed and hug a pillow to my chest._

He blinked, and cleared his throat. “—That’s alright. I’ve been feeling a little anxious about it. More than I realized, I guess.”

The warmth in her expression caused a pang of guilt. “You have absolutely _nothing_ to worry about.You’ll find a job soon. Medical labs across the metro-area will be _fighting_ over you! And if they aren’t then they’re clearly idiots, and you don’t want to work for them anyway.” 

He chuckled and nodded, tapping the pen on his desk. “You’re right, of course. It’ll work out.”

Before she could say anything else they heard someone ram into the door. 

“ _Ow_! Why is this locked?!” Moody’s groaned, his voice muffled by the door. Anne rolled her eyes and got up to let him. 

“Because we’re talking about secret things Moody. Why else would a door be locked?”

He looked at her confused, hand rubbing his head. He never learned how to tell when Anne was joking, much to her amusement.

Moody walked into the office and shoved some papers towards her. “Anne, can you explain these notes to me? Please? I got the first half, but you use so many complicated words in the other section that I keep having to pull up a dictionary.”

As she and Moody walked over to her desk, Gilbert focused his gaze back to his computer. Of course he knew the internship was ending. They had a countdown in the other intern office displayed on the wall - all of them eager to taste temporary freedom. And yes, Anne was right. He had been frantically applying to research facility jobs, dying to finally work within a medical lab. Gilbert knew the end was near.

He just...hadn't thought about what that would mean. At least, when it came to Anne. Gilbert had been quietly nursing his pathetic crush on her for weeks now, telling himself it wasn’t the time. But now… 

He looked over at her, her braid barely contained, loose hairs framing her face. Her eyes bright as she gestured with her hands, trying to paint a picture for Moody. Gilbert tried to imagine not seeing her in the morning. He considered a life without their daily talks. A day passing by without hearing her rant or laugh. Afternoons spent sitting in comfortable silence together. 

He should tell her. That was the logical decision. And Gilbert had always been a very logical person. What was he supposed to say? _Anne, I’ve been thinking that it would be nice to hang out sometime. Why? Oh well, because I never want to spend another day in my life without hearing your voice, that’s why._

“Gilbert?” 

He startled, and saw Moody standing by his desk, giving him a weird look. 

“Yeah? What’s up?” Gilbert replied, sitting up in his chair, gripping the armrests tightly.

“Nothing, you looked super out of it. Kind of pale. You good?” 

He swallowed, and glanced across the room to see Anne giving him a sweet smile. _I’m fucked_ , he thought. Gilbert released a breath. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m good.” 

* * *

“Anne? You ready?” 

Anne looked up from her computer and saw Ms. Stacy stood at the door frame. She eagerly nodded, and Ms. Stacy smiled, nodding her head towards the main intern office. The two of them walked over there in silence. Mr. Philipps was scrutinizing Ruby’s computer screen and scoffing while Gilbert stood on the other side of Ruby, assuring her that he thought the video was great. 

“I don’t think we’re watching the same video, Blythe, because what I’m seeing is a load of -” 

“Excuse me?” Ms. Stacy interrupted, and Philipps jolted upright. “Sorry to interrupt your meeting, but I do have an announcement to make. If that’s alright...Mr. Philipps? I hope I’m not interrupting your _constructive_ feedback.” 

His face flushed red, and he backed away from Ruby’s desk. “No! You’re - um, yes, of course. Yes. Go ahead.” 

Anne sucked in one of her cheeks, trying to suppress her smile. Ms. Stacy continued, “I have to say, first and foremost, that I am so _incredibly_ proud of the work you all have accomplished. Your school program project has been an amazing success amongst the community, and the schools have been so pleased with their students’ excitement. This project truly exemplifies the values of PEIPA, and it was launched with great aplomb. So, well done!” 

She paused here to clap for them, and Moody gave a loud whoop and started clapping, too. Anne saw Philipps purse his lips, and she looked at him smugly. 

“Now, with that being said, I have to also give credit specifically to the project’s supervisor - Anne Shirley-Cuthbert!” At that, everyone started clapping loudly, except for Billy and Mr. Philipps, and she blushed at their praise. “And along with that I’m honored to announce that PEIPA plans to make this a year-round program, and Anne has graciously agreed to join our team to continue her amazing work, full-time.” 

“Anne!” 

“Oh my God! Anne! Congratulations! 

The mix of clapping and cheering increased, and Anne finally expressed her glee. She laughed, and clapped a little herself, trying to imprint this moment into her mind. Winnie, Ruby, and Ka’kwet rushed over and engulfed her in a hug, but through their arms her eyes drifted over to Gilbert. 

He looked at her with bright eyes, and a warm expression. He nodded his head, and mouthed, _Well done_. Anne tried to fight the blush forming on her cheeks, willing her pulse to steady. 

Thankfully, she was grounded again by Moody announcing to the room, “Intern celebration tonight! Who’s in? Yes?” 

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to see Ms. Stacy’s proud look. “Welcome to the team.” 

“Thank you, Ms. Stacy. Really.” 

She nodded, “You can call me Muriel, you know. We’re all equals here.” Then, she looked behind her. “Mr. Philipps? A moment, please? ” She walked out of the room, and Mr. Philipps stalked out behind her, face red and clearly upset. Anne widened her eyes and giggled with Ka’kwet. 

“Drinks sound fun!” Ruby exclaimed. “It’ll be a way to commemorate the end of all of us being together!”

At that, Ruby’s bottom lip started to quiver and Ka’kwet put a comforting arm around her. 

“Awwwww we’ll miss you, too, Ruby. But we can still spend time together!” 

The rest of them started planning their outing, and Anne took a moment to drink it all in. The all too familiar sound of Ruby sniffling. Josie and Charlie bickering about their taste in bars. Gilbert and Winnie goading the two on, mocking them with each question. Billy’s complaints going unheard.

She would miss this. Miss them. She wondered if her new team would click so well. 

She hoped so.

* * *

“Can you _believe_ the look on his face?” Ka’kwet said, loudly. “Philipps was _livid_. He looked like he was about to have a fucking stroke. It was just…” she mimed a chef’s kiss. 

The rest of them laughed loudly, and Anne felt her skin flush, her cheek muscles strained from the joy of the day. 

“Yeessss,” Winnie said, leaning forward. “Thank you to Queen Anne for giving that piece of shit something to cry about. To Queen Anne!” 

Winnie raised her drink, and the rest of them followed suit. “To Queen Anne!”

They all clinked their glasses and bottles together, reaching across the circular table in their booth. Anne covered her face with her hand, embarrassed by her coworkers’ praise, but all the while pleased. 

“Well,” Anne said, “It’s good to know that the universe has a way of bestowing some sort of karma on those who deserve it.”

“And he really, _really_ deserved it,” Gilbert added, nudging his shoulder with hers. 

She kept her eyes on her glass, but felt his eyes on her face. It had been a glorious moment, seeing Philipps react to her new position. Especially in light of the fact that her new title was an equal position to his own. 

“Anne,” Ruby said, reaching over to take her hand, “I want to be like you when I grow up.” 

Anne laughed loudly, and shook her head. “There must be a better role model for you.” 

“Nope!” She responded, gleefully. 

“You’re pretty badass,” Gilbert added, before turning to Anne again. “Give yourself more credit.”

Anne rolled her eyes, and managed to give him a quick glance. He took a sip of his drink, and her eyes fell to the outline of his jaw. The movement of his Adam’s apple. _Jesus Christ, Anne. Get yourself together._ She turned away and focused on her drink.

Things had been...different with Gilbert lately. Nothing noticeably different, but Anne could feel it. Gilbert would lean over her desk, and her heart would start racing, and her mouth would go dry. She thought about every little moment they shared to an embarrassing degree. 

It was all thanks to Ruby and Ka’kwet’s fault, really. 

Last week, she and Gilbert had been packing up for the day, chatting as they did. 

“You know, Mary keeps asking when you’ll come over again for dinner,” Gilbert said, “She’s been desperate for another woman in the house. You know, other than Delly.” 

“Does Delly count as another woman?” Anne countered. 

“Honestly, sometimes I feel like she understands me just as well as Bash does.” 

Anne laughed, and they heard a knock on their office door. Ruby and Ka’kwet stood there, and waved, waiting for Anne to join them. They had all agreed to grab some take-out and hang out at Anne and Diana’s place. 

Gilbert looked over his shoulder at them, and slung his bag over his shoulder. “Well, just think about it. It would be nice to have dinner again, yeah?” 

She nodded in response, and he gave her a grin. He bid them all goodbye and walked out of the room.

“Sorry, guys! Just need to make sure I have — what?” Anne looked at them and saw the two women giving her coy smiles. 

“What did GIlbert mean when he said ‘have dinner again’ just now?” Ka’kwet asked. Anne rolled her eyes. 

“You guys are ridiculous. I had dinner at his house with his family _once_ because I had to pick up my USB from him. That’s it.”

“You met his family?” Ruby asked, excitedly. “That’s serious! He must _really_ like you.” 

“What?! No, it wasn’t—”

“Duh, Ruby,” Ka’kwet said, ignoring Anne’s last comment, “Of course he really likes her. Gilbert is _always_ giving her major heart eyes. He adores her.”

“ _What?!_ ” Anne shrieked. 

“What?” Ka’kwet responded innocently. “You haven’t noticed?” 

Her mouth opened, and her brain scrambled to try and find a response. She didn’t want to admit that she _had_ noticed...something. Ever since that dinner, she noticed how his eyes lingered on her a little longer than necessary. How he always brought her pick-me-ups without request or checked on her when she was having a bad day. How he made her laugh. How much he praised her intelligence and creativity. How he made her feel...good. Simply and wonderfully _good_ about herself. He understood her in ways like no one else. It completely unnerved her. So, naturally, she pretended she hadn’t noticed any of it. 

“He’s quite handsome,” Ruby added with a far-off gaze. “Especially when he’s thinking. It makes him look so serious.” 

That was another detail Anne had noticed. Gilbert was definitely handsome, and his hair was annoyingly perfect. She shoved her jacket into her bag, punching it down until it fit.

“It’s good that you’ve started seeing him outside of work,” Ruby continued, “Seeing as you’ll be separated soon. That way, you can push your relationship to _the next level_. You know?” 

Ka’kwet gave Ruby an amused look as the blonde gave a knowing smile, but Anne focused on zipping her bag. She huffed, blowing a strand of hair away from her face. “Like I said, you guys are being ridiculous. He and I are just _friends_ and _coworkers_. That’s it! Can we go now?”

The women shrugged and dropped the topic of Gilbert for the rest of that night, but ever since then Anne couldn’t stop thinking about the looming end of their internship. She really _didn’t_ see Gilbert outside of work. They were both usually exhausted at the end of every day, and she spent most of her weekends with Diana. 

What if he forgot about her when she wasn’t around all the time? Maybe he’ll meet someone else at his new job. Someone cooler. 

( _Someone prettier_ , she would think followed closely by Marilla’s voice calling her the vainest girl on all of the Island, and that would shut her mind up). 

Maybe, once this was all over, he wouldn’t even want to hang out with her. They would turn into those friends who would sporadically text. The ones who suggested meeting soon, only to never see each other again. The idea made her inexplicably sad.

Anne cycled through these thoughts hours on end, before getting mad at herself for being silly and shoving the thoughts into a little box in her mind. 

And so, she ignored the way his shoulder kept bumping into hers, and how their knees were nearly touching. Instead, she focused on the laughter of her friends, and the anecdotes they shared from earlier this summer. 

Until, a song came on that caused Ruby’s eyes to glaze over, a small smile on her face. 

“Awww,” she cooed, resting her cheek in her hand, “I _love_ this song! We used to listen to it all the time in high school. We played it during prom _and_ graduation.”

Winnie snorted, “I remember listening to this song while cramming for exams in uni.” She pinched Ruby’s cheek affectionately. “Such a little baby!” 

“Uhhh,” Moody cleared his throat, and rubbed the back of his neck.“If you want, Ruby, we could, maybe...dance?” 

Anne threw a look of shock at Ka’kwet and Winnie, but the two of them were already looking at the other with knowing glances. Across the table, Josie laughed. “You are _so_ _smooth_ , Moody.” 

But, Moody kept his eyes on Ruby, who sat up with shining eyes. She nodded shyly. “I’d like that, actually.” 

The rest of the table tried, quite unsuccessfully, to cover their smiles and giggles, watching the two of them stumble out onto the dance floor of the bar. They got lost in the small crowd of couples and friends, all already fairly far-gone based on their swaying moves. After a minute of watching their friends awkwardly slow dance together, Josie stated, “Well Charlie, I guess I owe you.” She reached into her wallet, and pulled out some cash. Charlie took it with a slight bow.

“Thank you! I told you he would get the courage to ask her,” he said, and Josie rolled her eyes. 

“ _Wait_ ,” Anne said, “You guys knew that would happen?” 

“Of course,” Josie responded. “They’ve been making eyes at each other for weeks now. I just didn’t think Moody had the guts to say something.” 

“You should have had more faith in him!” Winnie chided, looking out at the couple again. “He did it! And now they’re so happy.” There was a lull in the conversation and Anne happened to see Winnie giving Gilbert a look. Anne looked at him, and saw he returned Winnie’s look with confusion. Before she could ask, Winnie cleared her throat. 

“Let’s _all_ dance, shall we? To celebrate our success as a team?” She smiled sweetly at Anne and Gilbert, “You two are a separate team, though. No bosses allowed.” 

Before Anne could respond, Charlie spoke up. “You guys _have_ noticed that Billy hasn’t shown yet, right?” 

Josie laughed, and said, “Oh, he’s not coming.” 

“Why not? Too cool for us?” Winnie asked, sarcastically. 

Josie smirked. “He’s not coming because _someone_ may have sent him a text to meet her at another bar requesting some _alone_ time together.” She settled her chin in her hand and shrugged. “He’s all the way across town.” 

Ka’kwet died laughing, slapping the table with her hand, and the rest of them joined. 

“Not that I’m complaining,” Anne started, “But…why did you...” She always thought Josie liked Billy. 

“Because he’s a disgusting pig,” Josie answered, rolling her eyes. “He’s been texting and bothering me _nonstop_ since my party. I decided to give him a shot, and then he fucking _ditched_ me on our first date when we ran into his friends. Then, he texted me the next day asking when our second date would be. He’s an incompetent fool.” She paused and looked off thoughtfully. “I wonder when he’ll get the reprimand from HR...” When she saw them looking back at her questioningly, she clarified, “I also reported his ass for texting me a picture of his dick during work hours.” 

“ _Ew!_ ” Ka’kwet yelled. 

“He did _what?!_ ” Gilbert asked. “Josie, I am _so_ sorry. That’s - ” 

“Oh I know! I reported it immediately, and made sure to put that should he bother me again, I’ll be filing a restraining order. My dad is livid.” They looked at her with awe and concern, and she continued, “No worries! It’s handled, _dahlings_.” Josie threw her hair over her shoulder, and downed the rest of her drink and looked at them. “I thought we were dancing?” 

There was a pause before Winnie said, “Well, damn!” Josie winked in response, and Winnie hit her hands against the table, and declared, “Also, _yes_! We _are_ dancing!” She nudged Ka’kwet out of the booth and took Josie’s hand. “Just us four together - one last hoorah as a team!” 

And at that, the three women grabbed one another and made their way out of the booth, and Ka’kwet grabbed Charlie’s hand, once it was clear he didn’t want to join them. “Come on, Charlie! You, too!!” 

Anne watched them all form a little circle, dancing together - quite poorly, she noted, and settled back into her seat and took a sip of her drink. She laughed in disbelief.

“What a wonderful day for karmic retribution,” Anne commented to herself. 

She heard Gilbert clear his throat, and she looked at him - his expression very unlike his usual demeanor. He looked...uncertain. Nervous, even. 

“What?” 

“You heard what Winnie said.” He nodded his head towards the dance floor. “One last hoorah. As a team.” 

He got up, and held out his hand, and Anne tried to think of an excuse she could give. That she had two left feet. She was too tipsy. She was tired. She had a severe phobia of dancing in public. Something. Anything. 

But apparently she was a masochist because she found herself putting her hand in his, allowing him to pull her onto the dance floor, far away from their fellow interns. They stopped by the speakers, and he pulled her body close to his, wrapping his arm around her waist. His cheek was near the top of her head, and her hand rested lightly on his shoulder. Her other hand, warm in his.

It felt splendid, much to Anne’s horror.

“So…” she started, feeling the need to fill the silence. The need to make this dance as casual as possible. “How many more interviews do you have scheduled?”

He sighed, tiredly. “One more, actually. Friday afternoon. Which means I’ll have to leave early on our last day.” 

“That’ll be nice, right? Early start to the weekend.” 

“Hmmm, I guess.” She waited for him to elaborate, and finally he said, “Maybe I’m sentimental, but I was hoping to spend our entire last day together. Commemorate our teamwork somehow.” 

Anne avoided looking up at him, and said, “I never would’ve pegged Gilbert Blythe as sentimental.” 

“Maybe I’m less predictable than you think.” 

She hummed before replying, “Says the man who meticulously cleans his desk every day so that everything is in its designated spot. I swear, you could reorganize that thing with your eyes closed.”

He scoffed. “So my desk isn’t a disaster like yours. That doesn’t make me predictable.”

“You also eat the same thing for lunch every day and wear the same ties on the same day of every week!” Anne gave him a glare, jokingly. “Predictable.” 

Gilbert turned his face towards hers, a look of mock offense on his face, and she smiled. Suddenly, he spun her quickly, and she yelped in surprise, the blur of the bar lights passing by them. She felt him tighten his grip around her waist as he guided her down into a dip. When she sprung back up, he had a smug grin on his face, and she could feel her smile widen. 

“Alright, alright. I’m impressed,” she laughingly conceded, and he bowed his head. 

“Finally. That’s all I wanted,” he responded. 

“What, exactly?” She asked, still laughing from before. 

“Your approval, of course.” 

He said it so genuinely, so quickly, so sure of the statement, that it caught Anne off guard. “ _My_ approval?” She snorted and rolled her eyes, trying to hide the blush on her face. “Everyone loves you and you know it.” 

“Maybe, but,” Gilbert paused, “‘ _But your good opinion is rarely bestowed and therefore more worth the earning_.’”

Anne’s eyes quickly met his own amused look. He knew how much she loved Austen, and she knew he expected a laugh, but the words made her heart jump into her throat.

They swayed quietly for a moment, and Anne tried to focus on the atmosphere around them to ground herself. The generic music still playing, the soft lights of the bar overhead, her coworkers laughing loudly several feet away. Moody and Ruby looking at each other, adoringly. All of it made her heart clench. The room, the people. 

The person holding her.

She looked back at him, and found herself thinking back to when they’d met. Their arguing, their friendship, their dynamic. How frustrated she would get by his arrogance and intelligence, only to learn how wrong she had been from the start. Gilbert had no idea how spot on he was, using that line. Suddenly, she was Elizabeth Bennett at Pemberley. She was Lizzie realizing that perhaps Mr. Darcy was the best man she had ever known. 

Much like Gilbert was perhaps the best man Anne had ever known. All of it made her head spin.

His gaze morphed into something sweeter. Gentler. Determined. 

He was holding her so closely, and her heart was pounding, and she felt herself lean in, her arm wrapping itself around his shoulders. His forehead resting on hers. The tip of his nose grazed hers, and her eyes started to close, and her breaths became shallow. _He’s going to kiss me,_ she thought, _I want him to kiss me._

She felt panic surging through her. The urge to run. Far away from all of it. 

Anne suddenly turned her face down, and leaned the top of her head on his chest. She started to lose control of her breathing, and felt herself getting dizzy. Gilbert must have sensed something was off because he started asking if she was alright. 

_Oh, God. I’m having a panic attack._

She felt Gilbert pull away from her, and soon they were moving, pushing past people. Anne felt the night breeze on her face, and opened her eyes to the parking lot. He sat her down on the bench out front, and knelt in front of her. 

“You’re alright, Anne. You’re okay. Focus on my voice.” 

She tried to do as he instructed, tried to calm her breathing. 

“We’re outside, and you’re sitting on a wooden bench. The breeze is cool, and your hands are on your knees. We’re the only ones out here, okay? It’s just you and me. It’s you and me, Anne.” 

Soon, her breath started to slow down as she focused on Gilbert’s voice and the feel of the breeze on her face. She was okay. She would be fine. Once her breathing was back to normal, and her vision sharpened into focus, Anne looked up at Gilbert’s face, and was met with a look of worry and hurt. She put her face in her hands, and heard him sigh deeply. 

“Anne,” he started, and she could hear how upset he sounded. “Anne, I am _so, so_ sorry.” 

She shook her head, and kept her tone light. “You have no reason to be sorry. That wasn’t my first panic attack. It’s fine, really.” 

“No, Anne, please. Let me apologize.” She looked up again, and saw him move to the spot next to her. Keeping his distance this time. “I didn’t mean to...pressure you, or...or hurt you, in any way.” 

Anne felt tears well up in her eyes, and she wanted desperately to tell him that it wasn’t him at all. He was perfect, and wonderful. 

The problem was her. 

“You’re crying,” he noted, devastated. “Fuck. Anne, I am _so_ -” 

“Sorry?” She interrupted, trying to release the tension of this moment. Anne forced a laugh, and gave him a tight smile. “Gilbert, I’m _fine_. It’s not your fault. It was probably the heat or the crowd...Thanks for calming me down.” 

“Yeah, of course, Anne. Of course.” His jaw clenched and she noticed his hands fidgeting by his legs. Hesitatingly, he said, “You’re, um, you’re sure it wasn’t because I…” 

Anne felt shoulders tense as he stumbled through his words. She glanced at his face and saw him blush. “....Because we almost...” 

_Don’t say it._ She begged, silently. _Please don’t say it._

“Almost what?” Anne asked, innocently. She tried to chuckle, but it came out hoarse and awkward. She shook her head, and shut her eyes with feigned confusion. “Honestly, I was so out of it for a minute, I don’t...really know what happened.” 

It was like a punch in the chest, the look of hurt and disappointment that crossed Gilbert’s face. The guilt clawed at her, and she wondered what kind of karma would befall her for this crime. She deserved the worst of it for making him look so sad. It was better this way, though.

He was too Gilbert. And she was too Anne. 

“Nothing,” he finally answered. “It was nothing.” 

Anne swallowed, and nervously rubbed her hands on her thighs. She got up and started walking towards her car, and she heard him follow behind her. 

“Well, I guess I’m calling it a night. Must be fatigue or something. I feel like we’ve been working nonstop, you know?” 

“You good driving home? I’ll drive you, and we can pick up your car from here after work tomorrow.” 

They stopped at the door of her car, and she fumbled for her keys. “No! I’m totally fine. Really. I barely drank at all, and I’m feeling better. I live so close that it’s no big deal.” Finally her fingers found her keyring, and she unlocked her door, throwing herself into the driver’s seat. 

Gilbert leaned down, and looked at her closely, and she willed her breath to stay steady. She just needed to make it out of this parking lot alone. She could do that. 

“Besides,” Anne scratched her forehead and focused on the sensation of that instead of the lump forming in her throat, “I may not go in tomorrow. Depending on how I feel. I’m usually out of it the day after a panic attack. Adrenaline rush, and all that.” 

Her gaze focused on her steering wheel, and it was quiet again. She heard the scuff of his shoes on the pavement.The restraint in the sigh he released. 

“Right, yeah. That makes sense. You should rest.” 

She waited a beat before she waved her hand and closed the door, clumsily putting her keys in the ignition. She managed to make it to the exit of the parking lot before looking back in her rearview mirror. 

Gilbert stood right where her car had been. Hands in his pockets, curls moving in the gentle breeze. From here she could see his shoulders hunched, the slight frown on his face as he watched her drive out of the lot.

She thought about how warm he had felt while they danced. Anne wanted to savor it. Their closeness, just a little bit, anyway. Tomorrow, she would tie the memory up into a little package, and hide it behind a corner of her mind with all the other little boxes she stored up there. She was determined. She would go back to her bubble - safe and secure - without Gilbert Blythe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BRUH. Do you ever write something and think, "Damn. Did I really just have them do that?" That was me after I wrote that conversation outside of the bar. The tags say no angst, but I meaaaaaaan this isn't really angst. Just like a little bump.
> 
> The emotion of it all! 
> 
> One more chapter!


	5. Destined

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Diana Barry is a hero. Always.

Gilbert was smarter than the average person. It was something that he had noticed from a fairly young age, and the adults in his life only reinforced it. He was smart. Smart enough to take a hint. Anne was avoiding him. She didn’t come back for the last two days of their program. At least, not while Gilbert was there. He heard through the others that she came back that final Friday afternoon to move to her new desk, but at that point, Gilbert had said his goodbyes and was on his way to his last job interview. A fact, he knew, that Anne was very much aware of.

He called her of course. Texted her that very same night of the bar fiasco to make sure she got home okay, and she responded - repeated that she was totally fine. Fine, fine, fine. The first time he called after that night, he figured she must have been resting. The next time, it went straight to voicemail. She responded via text hours later. Then, after a few days of this back-and-forth, it had become pretty clear that she didn’t want anything to do with him anymore. 

He really thought they were on the same page. But they weren’t. And he pushed her. He fucked it up. 

So, he did what he always did - submerged himself in work and ignored it. 

Luckily, he had been hired by the Queens’ medical research facility, and was enjoying it so far. He was able to work with like-minded people in a well-funded facility close to home. It was amazing. Well. It should have been amazing. And there were moments when he felt great. Other times...He consumed the work. Or, really. The work consumed him. Gilbert quickly fell into a routine that consisted of going into the lab early and staying late, falling into bed for a few measly hours of sleep, then sneaking out in the morning before Mary or Bash could interrogate him. 

He just. Missed her. Missed spending time with her. Sure, most people liked him, but it wasn’t easy for him to reciprocate that openness. To feel fully comfortable around others. It wasn’t easy for him to click with people like he did with her. Gilbert would erase their dance from existence if it meant that Anne would respond to any of his messages. For one text back. 

He was often reminded of her - from a vase of bright flowers to a stranger reading _The Great Gatsby_ on the bus. He imagined her standing next to him, scoffing at the choice. Gilbert reasoned that it wasn’t _too_ weird to think of her so often. It made sense. They used to see each other everyday and now they weren’t even speaking. He figured he was simply transitioning to the new dynamic. Unfortunately, instead of it getting better over time, it only got worse. It started happening every day, almost everywhere he went. Shopping for groceries, watching television, listening to podcasts. Grabbing his daily second cup of coffee. 

He was at the coffee cart right by his office when he glanced at the customer next to him. While adding some milk to his large cup, he examined the woman beside him as she shook two packets of sugar in her hand. She definitely didn’t look like _Anne_ ( _Did anyone?_ He wondered), but she looked a lot like Anne’s roommate. Dark hair, same height. She even had the same jacket...Wait.

“Diana?” Gilbert asked, and he saw the brunette look over with surprise. 

“Gilbert!” She froze, clearly surprised, before immediately walking over and giving him a hug. With anyone else, he might think the gesture odd due to their brief acquaintance, but Diana radiated a friendly warmth. A planet that welcomed all and any celestial body floating within her orbit. He noticed it that first night - she and Anne were similar in that way.

She looked up at him and smiled. “Well, hello! What’re you doing here?”

“Uhhh…” He led her over to the side of the cart, and the two sat on a nearby bench. “I work here now. I accepted a position at the medical research facility.” 

He pointed to the building behind him, and her smile widened. “Congratulations! I had no idea. Welcome to Queens!” 

He thanked her, and they chatted about the campus. Diana offered some advice on which areas to avoid, and Gilbert explained some of the research they were conducting. The two of them skirting around the one topic neither of them knew how to bring up. 

Gilbert noticed more and more passersby and he glanced at the time. It was almost 8:30 am, later than he would normally be walking into the lab. Before he could excuse himself, Diana lightly put a hand on his arm.

“Do you remember what I told you? That first night we met?” 

He tried to think back to Josie’s party, but it had been so long ago. She tilted her head, and pursed her lips. 

“I told you,” Diana said, “that I was a Gilbert Blythe advocate.”

“That’s right,” he said, nodding with a smile. “I remember that now. It was very kind of you.”

She seemed to hesitate, but a look of determination crossed her face, and she sat up. “I also said that Anne could be a little guarded at first. That she hasn’t had the easiest life. What I meant was that it can be hard for her to...accept people. No, wait, that’s not it. Anne accepts everyone. I mean, it’s hard for her to let people in…to _care_ for her.”

Gilbert fiddled with the cup in his hand. Focused on the little smudge of dried coffee already settled on the plastic lid with his jaw clenched.

“She misses you,” she said, sighing. “I know she can be difficult to understand, and her avoidance skills are expert-level, therefore _incredibly_ frustrating. But still. She misses you, Gilbert.”

He felt his chest tighten. Gilbert didn’t want to get his hopes up, but he wanted it to be true.

“I miss her, too,” he admitted. He looked up again and saw Diana try and hide her triumphant grin.

“I thought you might. She’ll come around. She always does.” Diana stood up, and he followed suit. 

“I meant what I said!” She said as she started backing away, eyes still on him, “I’m a Gilbert Blythe advocate. Still am!”

He chuckled and mirrored her, walking backwards towards the door to his building. “Thanks, Diana. I mean it.”

At that she waved, and turned around towards the next intersection. Gilbert sighed, watching her walk away. Anne might actually miss him, though he doubted it matched his intensity. He tried to force the idea to the back of his mind as the day wore on, but he couldn’t. The idea that Anne might actually miss him refused to be suppressed, and a little blip of hope started to form. So naturally, the rest of his day was shot to hell. He fumbled through basic forms, and zoned out during meetings. After his fourth screw-up of the day, Gilbert decided he needed a break. It was Friday and he had been working himself sick. And he needed to clear his mind.

* * *

_[Message from Gilbert Blythe]: Hey - any chance you’re willing to grab a drink tonight? After dinner?_

_[Message from Bash Lacroix]: Whaaaaaaaaaaaat? I’m sorry? Who is this??_

_[Message from Gilbert Blythe]: Fuck off_

_[Message from Bash Lacroix]: (laughing face emoji) (kissy face emoji)_

_[Message from Bash Lacroix]: Mary says she’ll watch Delly tonight. Says it’s about time you took a break. Let’s get dinner out too, yeah? My treat._

_[Message from Gilbert Blythe]: As long as you’re paying for drinks, I’m there._

* * *

“So you want to tell me why we’re here?” 

Gilbert looked at Bash over the rim of his glass and saw how he looked at Gilbert as if trying to decipher a code. Gilbert furrowed his brows. 

“You’re the one who chose this place. I would’ve gone to a dive. Cheaper drinks at least.” 

Bash rolled his eyes. “Not the bar, you idiot.” He scoffed, and replied, “Besides, I’m too old for that shit. No more college dive bars. I meant, why did you want to go out tonight? You’ve been avoiding us like the plague for weeks, and now all of sudden we’re here. Grabbing drinks.” 

As he spoke, Gilbert avoided his gaze, which confirmed Bash’s suspicion that this wasn’t work related. He put a hand on Gilbert’s shoulder, and waited for him to return his gaze. Bash took in the bags under his eyes, and waited for him to finally explain. 

Gilbert knew there was no getting around it. Bash always wore him down, and frankly, he was too tired to keep dodging his questions. He sighed, deeply, and finished his drink in one gulp. “It’s Anne. I told her how I feel, and she hasn’t spoken to me since.” 

Bash’s brow shot up, before he fixed his expression to be more consolatory. He drew back his arm, and held his glass. “I’m sorry. That’s tough.” 

Gilbert nodded, and Bash sighed. “I have to say - I’m surprised. I saw the way you two were looking at each other that night.” He watched Gilbert scoff, but he continued, trying to parse this out, “Maybe there’s something else going on. How did the conversation go? What did you tell her?” 

He watched as Gilbert’s brows furrowed. “Well...I didn’t so much as _say_ it.” 

Bash’s blinked. “You just said you told her how you felt. How do you tell someone how you feel and not say anything?” 

“Well, _you know_ ,” Gilbert started, shrugging, “I didn’t so much as _say_ it with words. I just…” His eyes darted as he tried to recall the memory. “We were dancing and she was close to me, and, you know, we both leaned in…”

Bash waited for him to continue explaining, but Gilbert just shrugged again. Bash tapped his fingers on the cocktail napkin under his glass, the condensation starting to drip to the countertop. “So...you tried to kiss her, is what I’m gathering from that. Then what?” 

“She had a panic attack, and went home,” Gilbert replied, glumly. 

“Shit,” Bash said, “That’s not great.” 

Gilbert snorted. “Yeah. She also teared up a little. I gotta say, it felt pretty fucking bad.”

He shifted his glass between his hands, needing to fidget, before moving to the napkin on the bar counter. He rolled this napkin into a thin scroll, waiting as Bash mulled this over. 

“That...isn’t a normal reaction, Blythe.” Gilbert looked ready to defend her, but Bash shook his head quickly. “I’m not criticizing her! That’s not what I’m saying. I meant maybe there was something else going on. A panic attack and tears...It could have triggered something for her. She implied that she didn’t have the best childhood, right?” He paused, brows furrowed. “Did she explain?”

Gilbert shook his head, and Bash leaned back in thought. “Well, what did _you_ say the next day? Did you explain how you felt? Your intentions?” He watched as Gilbert’s brows furrowed even more, his mouth twisting in thought. Bash wanted to smack him on the back of the head. “Did you tell her that you think she’s the best thing since sliced bread? Something? _Anything_?” 

“We didn’t really have a chance!” Gilbert answered, defensively, and Bash groaned. “As soon as she had grounded herself after the panic attack, I apologized for being pushy, but she claimed to not know what I was talking about. Which is impossible because I _know_ she was leaning in, too. I know it. She just...didn’t want to admit it, I guess.” 

“So…” Bash leaned back in his chair, and leveled his gaze to Gilbert’s face. “You _didn’t_ tell her how you feel about her - barely admitted that you were trying to make a move. She then avoided talking about said move, but instead of trying to talk about it you let her go. Am I missing something here?” 

Gilbert just blinked at him, and Bash rubbed his forehead, warily. “Fuck me.” He waved his hand at the bartender. “Excuse me! Sir! We’re going to need another round.” 

* * *

_[1 unheard voicemail 2:30 am from Gilbert Blythe]:_

_Carroooooooooooooooots! Heeeeeeey. It’s me. Gilby. Gilby Blythe - (muffled voice) What? No, trust me, she’ll think it’s cute (sounds of rustling). Sorry. I’m back. Anne. Hi. How are you? I saw Diana today. At the coffee cart. The one by my office. Did she tell you? Diana I mean (deep sigh). Aaaaaaaanyway. I’m just calling to catch up because — Ow! Shit! — Sorry! I tripped on the steps. Anyway. I miss you. Did you know that? I really fucking miss you, and you’re little quirky Anne-isms. You were always so cute. (Sigh) And pretty. Always pretty. I miss seeing you every day. I’m so sorry I tried to kiss you that night. So, so sorry. You’re like (sigh) the best person I’ve ever met, and we were dancing, and you smelled nice, like lavender or something. (Sounds of laughing). Bash! Anyway. I get that I’m a fuckup. I tried to kiss you because I think you’re sliced bread, but I didn’t even ask if you think I’m sliced bread...So, I’m sorry. Call me? I miss you._

* * *

Gilbert groaned at the sound of Delly’s wailing. His head felt like it was splitting open, and he desperately needed some water. And coffee. And for the sun to go away. After several minutes of deliberation, he decided that hydration was worth rolling out of bed. He stumbled out of his sheets, quickly rinsing off his face in the bathroom before making his way to the kitchen. 

The smell of pancakes caused his stomach to roll, and he groaned as he sat at the table, covering his eyes with his hand. 

“Oh, great. A house of three babies today,” Mary said. Gilbert peeked through his fingers to see Bash sitting barely upright, sunglasses on his face. 

“Why are you wearing sunglasses?” Gilbert asked, voice hoarse. 

“Why are you looking at me through your fingers?” Bash countered. Gilbert grunted in response, and Mary poured some coffee and water for the two of them, placing some ibuprofen next to the glasses. 

“Drink some liquids and take those pills. I’m making you my hangover smoothie with these pancakes to soak all of that liquor out of you. You both smell disgusting.” 

Bash snorted. “Thank you, my love. We’re not worthy of this treatment.” 

“I know,” she responded, moving back to the counter to start chopping. 

Gilbert and Bash sat in silence, following Mary’s directions. The two of them started to feel a little more normal after a while, and towards the end of breakfast, Bash was bouncing Delly on his knee, sunglasses now snug in his daughter’s chubby hands.

“So what, pray tell, caused you two to drink yourselves stupid last night?” Mary asked, leaning her chin on her hand while they sat at the table. 

Gilbert rubbed his face, and tried to think back to what they did. “Uhhh, I just needed a break.” 

“It’s Anne,” Bash replied, earning him a glare from Gilbert. 

Anne. Wait. _Wait._

Gilbert shot up, and checked his pockets for his phone. He looked around the room, and then ran up the stairs to his bedroom. His phone was nowhere to be found and he sprinted back into the dining room. 

“What the hell are you doing?” Bash asked, as Delly’s eyes followed Gilbert’s body around the room. “You’re making me dizzy.” He searched every corner of the room, flipping over papers and piles of baby clothes. 

“Where’s my phone?” 

“Oh, I saw it on the kitchen counter this morning. You must have left it there last night,” Mary answered. 

He rushed over to where she pointed and looked at the last call he sent. 

“ _Fuck!”_

“What’s wrong?” Mary asked, taking in Gilbert’s pale face. 

He didn’t answer, but looked at Bash with wide eyes. Bash looked back confused for a minute, before the memory of last night came back, his jaw dropping a little. Gilbert put his face in his hands. 

“Oh shit,” Bash muttered.

* * *

Anne listened to the message an embarrassing number of times. She hid under her covers and played it over and over and over again. 

Earlier that morning when she rolled over and saw his name on her phone screen, her entire body tensed. She considered deleting it. Immediately. But then she thought about how devastated he had looked that night, and played it. 

She wanted to laugh and cry and scream into her pillow. Anne missed his voice. Missed being around him. She hated how miserable he sounded when he apologized for almost kissing her. However, the twisted part of her was happy that he missed her so much. That he called her cute. That he said she was the best person he had ever met. Despite the fact that she treated him like total shit and didn’t deserve any of it, he still liked her. 

Anne heard the clinking of dishes coming from the kitchen, and threw the covers off of her. She walked into the kitchen, and saw Diana starting the coffee maker. 

“Good morning! I was going to make some eggs. Interested?” 

Instead of answering, Anne sat on the kitchen counter and put her phone between them. She played the message on speaker, and watched Diana’s eyes widen and widen, to a near comical size. At the sound of her name, Diana’s jaw dropped, and she covered it with her hand. Once the message ended, the room stayed quiet. 

“Anne, I was going to tell you that I saw him. _Really_. I was just trying to think of how to bring it up. You’ve been so miserable since it all happened, and I didn’t want to make you feel worse.” She examined Anne’s expression, and saw the little crease form between her brows. Her mouth twisted in thought. Diana walked over and put a hand over hers. “I’m sorry, Anne. Truly.” 

Anne blinked a few times, and gave Diana a small smile. She squeezed her hand. “I know. And, I get it. I don’t have the best track record when it comes to reacting to news well.” Anne glanced at Diana’s face before asking, quietly, “How was he? Did he look okay?”

Diana’s mouth twisted, and Anne felt a lurch in her stomach. “Honestly? He looked like a sad, forgotten puppy.” 

She hopped off the counter and sighed. “Oh Di.” Anne buried her face in her hands. “I think I really like him.” 

“You think?” Diana said, smugly. Anne shot her a look, then fiddled with a strand of her long red hair. 

“I just...” Anne focused on twirling her hair around her finger, avoiding Diana’s face. “What if it ends badly? What if...we build a life together and it all just crumbles apart? Maybe I’m too…” 

Anne struggled to get the words out, but Diana waited, patiently, like always. When it was clear that she didn’t know how to continue, Diana spoke up, “When we met, you asked me if I could possibly ever like you. I didn’t understand why you would ask me something like that. You were the most interesting person I had ever met. How could I not like you?” She watched her friend smile at the memory and she continued, “We’ve both changed a lot since then.” 

“I would hope so,” Anne responded, “That was like, ten years ago.” 

“You’re much more confident, and sure of yourself. And I’ve learned to stop trying to be so passive. But there are moments when I worry too much about making someone upset, or I worry that I’m not doing something exactly the way it’s supposed to be done,” Diana said. “And sometimes...you still see yourself as that thirteen year-old girl. Unsure if anyone could possibly like you.” 

Anne felt some tears prick into her eyes. It was true. Sometimes she looked in the mirror and saw a little, redheaded twig using her imagination to escape the realities around her. Hoping that someone might keep her around. She didn’t want to - she knew her worth, moreso now than ever. It was just…

“Maybe you should reach out to him. It doesn’t have to be anything big. Only if you want, of course,” Diana said, gently. 

Anne cleared her throat, and tried to sort through her muddled thoughts. “I know it seems crazy that I’m worrying about breaking up before we’ve even started. I just have this gut feeling that, if we do start...that it could really be something.” She traced the wood grain on their countertop, then laughed sarcastically, feeling a smile form. “Austen and the Brontë sisters really didn’t prepare me for this.”

Diana gave an encouraging smile, “I don’t know. They nailed the tragical romances.”

“Yeah, the _tragedy_. The heartbreak, the anguish, dealing with forces out of the couple’s control. But...they skipped over the scary part. Baring your soul. The potential pain of being completely vulnerable. Having _so_ much influence on another person’s heart...Falling in love. It’s way scarier than an unknown wife hidden in the third story closet.”

Diana’s brows shot up at Anne’s words. “Falling in love? You think that...this might be love?”

Anne bit her lip and nodded, and Diana squeezed her hand. “Oh, Anne!” The two of them giggled, and Diana continued, “Thirteen year-old us would be jumping up and down right now. Although we _did_ hope our first loves would happen simultaneously - ”

“ - While we traveled across Europe,” Anne interrupted. “We would run into two handsome strangers at a café in Paris. I remember.” She sighed. “But, truth be told, I always thought it would be you first.”

“No, it had to be you,” Diana said, matter-of-factly, “You’ve always been the romantic one. Besides, I’ve _just_ found my freedom. And I am quite fond of it. You’ve always been the independent one - maybe it’s time to learn how to lean on someone else.” 

Anne hadn’t thought of it that way, but she supposed Diana was right. Independence and growth weren’t always synonymous. Frankly, she had been independent for as long as she could remember. To depend on another person...Her brain fought against it, but Anne didn’t _want_ to think like that anymore. She wanted a life full of love. 

“I’m not sure if I could call him...explain this to him in person. Not yet, anyway. But maybe...I could write it?” She frowned. “I know that’s probably a cop out -” 

“I think,” Diana interrupted, “That’s a great idea. We can even drop it off together when you’re ready.” 

Anne wrapped her up in a hug, squeezing her tight, until Diana couldn’t restrain her laughs, prying herself out of Anne’s arms. She shooed her out of the kitchen. 

“You start writing, and I’ll start breakfast. ” She turned to the pantry, tapping her chin in thought. “Is a written declaration of love more aligned with pancakes or french toast?”

The two friends looked at each other, and answered simultaneously, “French toast.”

* * *

Gilbert avoided his phone as much as possible. He knew Anne wouldn’t call him back. Logically, he knew that. It didn’t stop him from startling every time his screen lit up. It happened the entire weekend, until Sunday when Mary took his phone and hid it in her room. 

“Just sit here and trim these green beans. _Please_ ,” Mary said once she returned. She plopped a bowl of the veggies in front of him, then placed the cutting board and knife in front of his seat. Gilbert sighed and followed her orders. After a few minutes of silence, Mary spoke up. 

“Give her some time, Gilbert. If it’s meant to happen, it’ll happen.” 

He looked up to meet Mary’s comforting look, and he gave her a small smile. The front door opened, and they heard Bash struggle with the stroller, cursing under his breath. He tip-toed towards them, and they both chuckled at his exaggerated movements. 

“Is she sleeping?” Mary asked, and Bash nodded, taking off his jacket. 

“Oh, yeah. Fell asleep about five minutes into our walk.” 

“Thank God!” Mary said, quietly, looking at the ceiling. 

Bash cleared his throat, and pulled out a bundle of mail from the inner pocket of his jacket. Gilbert, eyes trained on the cutting board, heard him place something beside his arm. “Found this in the mailbox for you. It doesn’t have a return address or a stamp.” 

He turned from the cutting board and looked down to see an envelope with all-too familiar handwriting with a drawing of a lavender stem in the corner. Gilbert grabbed it and looked at it silently before running up the stairs without a backward glance. He heard Bash yell, “You’re welcome!” which was quickly followed by Delly fussing and Mary’s groan. 

He closed his bedroom door behind him and paced the length of his room. Gilbert paused, and took a breath. Whatever was in this envelope - at least things would be better. Correspondence was better than being shut out. He pulled back the chair from his desk and sat down, taking a deep breath before carefully tearing the envelope open.

* * *

_Dear Gilbert,_

_I hope you’ve had plenty of fluids since Friday night. Perhaps an ibuprofen or two. Have you managed to roll out of bed yet or is the room still spinning?_

_I tease. I’m sure you’re embarrassed, but truth be told that voicemail was a thing of legends and will stay in my inbox forever. Thank you for the laugh; it was desperately needed. However, I have to apologize (what else is new?) for any pain and confusion that I’ve caused. That part was decidedly_ _not_ _fun to hear. I’m sorry for ghosting you. If I’m being totally honest, which I vow to be from this point on, a gnarled, sad, pathetic part of me was happy to hear how much you’ve missed me. I’ve been wretched to you, and I don’t deserve your kindness, though I’m not enough of a martyr to decline._

_I’ve missed you, too. A lot._

_I don’t even know how to explain why I panicked - it’s such a long and difficult tale to tell, that part of my life. My time before Green Gables. For now, all I can say is that when we almost kissed - and I say_ _we_ _purposefully - I envisioned you leaving me. Growing tired of me, for one or many reasons. It felt inevitable, and I couldn’t stomach the thought of watching you go. Of course, as you know, I lost you anyway. I pushed you. I’m sorry (I can’t possibly say that enough - I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry). It was selfish and, worst of all, an act of cowardice. I really try not to give into my fears, but this time I did._

_I’d like to stop doing that. If you’re willing to see me again, maybe we could start over - no. Wait. Scratch that. Maybe we could mend this friendship that I’ve butchered, and build something stronger. Something with new attachments as well (I think you get what I’m saying. I’m not trying to allude to some crude euphemism). I would really like that._

_Furthermore, I have to thank you for your lovely compliments, and thus feel the need to express my own._

_I find that you are quite lovely. Despite your_ _annoyingly_ _smug grin and your, at times, frustrating opinions - you, Gilbert Blythe, are my perfect foil. You push me to be a greater version of myself, while also being wonderfully supportive. You’re funny and determined and generous. You ground me without ever holding me back. I cannot overstate how much I’ve appreciated having you in my life the past few months. Or how much I hope to have you in my life for as long as you’ll have me._

 _Also, if we’re_ _really_ _getting into it, I happen to like the cut of your jaw - it’s splendid. And your hair - your hair is nice, too._

_What I’m trying to say is that, quite plainly, I think you’re the best thing since sliced bread (last joke about the voicemail, I swear)_

_Anyway. Feel free to ignore this, burn it, what have you. But, if you would like, you can call or text or write a letter in response. Send a courier pigeon. Whatever mode, I promise to reply._

_Yours truly,_

_Anne_

_P.S. I am my own, but I am_ _also_ _yours. Truly._

* * *

Anne’s leg jiggled as she waited on the front steps of her building. The air was cool, and she could finally feel the shift to the comfy Autumn weather that she loved so much. She hugged her arms close to herself, and continued looking at the street, waiting for his car to turn into the lot. She hadn’t expected him to contact her so soon, but of course he decided to text her the very same day. A message with the simple request of taking a walk with him that evening. Anne couldn’t help but note the duality of a proposed walk during the setting sun - a beautiful backdrop for the beginning of a splendid love? Or the symbol of an ending relationship? The writer in her was itching to write a scene or poem or - 

“Hi.” 

Anne had been so wrapped up in her thought that she had missed him walking up to her. There he stood a few feet in front of her. Gilbert. Looking at her with amusement. She jumped to her feet in surprise, and smoothed her blouse. 

“Hi.” 

The two of them looked at each other, taking in the other as though it had been years. Anne swallowed. She could see the tiredness around his eyes, evidence that he had been pushing himself too hard, and a knot twisted in her chest at the site. He looked at her with uncertainty, and she took a breath, knowing that she had to start. 

“There’s a path over here that I like to take when I need to clear my head. A balanced blend of nature and city scenery.” She nodded her head towards the back of her building, and he smiled and nodded.

“Sounds great.” 

The two of them started walking, the silence heavy with unspoken words. They took their time wrapping their minds around what they wanted to say first. A couple of minutes passed before Gilbert finally spoke. 

“I want to start off by saying that I am _absolutely_ mortified by that voicemail.” He grimaced and scratched the back of his head, and Anne laughed. “I am _so_ sorry about that message.” 

“No way! I _told_ you, it was a fantastic voicemail. I listened to it like, twenty times.” 

“Twenty times, eh?”

She nodded, and hesitated. He could see the gears moving in her head before she finally shrugged, shyly. “Yeah. It was funny. Cute, even.” 

Anne watched his face soften, and she wanted to wrap him in a hug then and there and apologize over and over again. 

Gilbert took a breath, and smiled, trying to steady his train of thought. Being this close to her, joking. He felt like he was coming off a strict diet, and now he was finally taking a big bite of cake. A satisfying punch of sweetness that hit him right in the chest. 

“I’m sorry,” Anne said quickly, and he breathed out a laugh. 

“Yeah, I got that from your letter.” 

“But it wasn’t enough!” 

Gilbert looked at her wide eyes, and it struck him as funny, in a way, that she was here asking him to forgive her. To give her another chance. Because of course, in Gilbert’s mind, there was no other option. There was only ever Anne. In any capacity she was willing to give.

“I think _I’m_ supposed to be the judge of that, actually,” Gilbert said, nudging his shoulder with hers. “You’re forgiven. It’s alright, Anne. It’s not like I wasn’t in the wrong, too.” 

Anne furrowed her brow and frowned. “How so?” 

He looked at the path in front of them, making their way towards a park. The tree branches were starting to cover them, the crunch of leaves under their feet. “I should’ve been up front with you. Been honest and clear. I just thought...you were rejecting me -” 

“Oh, really? I wonder how you got that idea? Is it because I pushed you away?” She responded sarcastically, and he gave her a look. 

“ - I _thought_ you were rejecting me and that I had misread things. I didn’t think you were pushing me away to protect yourself, and I feel like an _idiot_ for not piecing it together before.” He stopped, and turned to her, and she mirrored his position. “I was so deep in my self-pity that I didn’t see it, but I _should_ have. You shield yourself. I knew that from the start.” He smiled, and said, “You made that pretty clear when you threw that water in my face.” 

Anne cringed, but there was a trace of a smile on her face. “I’m sorry about that, too.” She looked at her feet, and pushed a leaf with the toe of her boot. “There is _never_ any expectation for you to be a mind-reader. There shouldn’t be for _either_ of us, really.” She looked back up at him, shoulders squared, and stated firmly, “I think we should agree to say whatever we think and feel with as much clarity as possible from now on.” 

He squinted his eyes and twisted his mouth in thought. “I think...that sounds very mature. Almost _too_ mature for us.” She laughed, and he grinned and continued, “But I agree. Wholeheartedly.” 

Anne’s eyes lingered on his before she started walking again. He followed her lead, and they eventually made their way to a small park, the sun nearly set. Anne led them to her favorite spot - a hollow within the roots of a large oak situated in the corner, secluded enough for privacy, but open enough to people-watch. They sat down, and faced each other. There was so much more that needed to be said, but for now, the two of them were simply glad to be there. Back on the same page. Working toward something together, again.

“I can’t promise that everything will be perfect,” Gilbert started, looking at her earnestly, “But I _can_ say that I’m not going anywhere.” He reached over and took her hand, rubbing the back of it with his thumb. “Whether it’s as your friend or something...else. I’m here, and I will be for as long as you want. There’s no going back once you have Anne Shirley-Cuthbert in your life.” 

He squeezed her hand when she let out a laugh, and he chose his next words carefully. “I’m following your lead. We’ll take it slow. As long as we’re doing it together, I’m happy.”

She took a shaky breath and flipped her hand in his, interlacing their fingers together. “I would like that. Very much.” 

They were quiet for a minute, both of them processing the other’s words, the other’s faces. Soon, though, Gilbert’s expression turned teasing - a look that made Anne’s heart skip. She hadn’t realized just how much she missed that look. Gilbert sat up, and said, “I don’t blame you. I mean,” he paused and turned his head to the side, “Have you _seen_ my jawline? It’s pretty great.” 

Anne’s jaw dropped and she let out a surprised laugh, which only encouraged him even more. He shook his head, and said, “Or my hair? I have _fantastic_ hair.” 

“I believe I used the word _nice_ , not fantastic.” 

“Yeah, but I knew what you really meant,” he replied smugly with a wink, and she punched him on his arm. He winced in mock pain, and laughed. 

“I take back the apology from earlier. You deserved that water to the face. In fact I would do it again. You are incorrigible.” 

Gilbert lifted her hand to his lips, and kissed her palm sweetly, making her face burst into flames. “I am incorrigible,” he said, “But I have a feeling you don’t mind.” 

Anne looked at him with admiration and annoyance. Gilbert couldn’t help but laugh at the expression, and he watched as the admiration on her face took over. 

“No,” Anne said, “I suppose I don’t.” 

* * *

They kiss, finally, for the first time, two weeks later on her couch. Gilbert is serious about taking it slow. He respects her space, and is a proper gentleman. And it’s driving her crazy. She wanted to take things slow, not glacially.

“I understand why everyone loves Lizzie,” he says, gesturing towards the TV, a scene from the BBC Pride and Prejudice playing out in front of them, “But Mary is the unsung hero here. She is _hilarious._ ” 

Anne peers at the profile of his face as he chuckles at Mrs. Bennet’s antics. She adores this person. “Hey, Gil?” 

He turns his head, eyes lingering on the TV before finally resting on her. “Hm?” 

Anne leans in and kisses him soundly, her hand resting on his jaw. She feels his surprise, but he quickly moves his hands to her face, and pulls her closer. Kissing her deeply. When she pulls away, she smiles at the dopey look on his face, a rarely seen, unkempt Gilbert. 

“Thank you,” he says, and she giggles. 

“You’re welcome.” 

She leans in again, and he pulls her in even closer. The rest of the night is spent on the couch, both of them lost in the other. They decide that they can watch that episode the next day, anyway.

* * *

They share a bed for the first time two weeks after that. Not that they hadn’t _wanted_ to before. It just gets sticky with roommates and family, and the amount of paranoia Anne so easily builds in her overactive mind. But, thankfully, the Lacroix family is away for a long weekend, visiting Mary’s parents. Gilbert cooks her a disastrous meal, and Anne can’t even pretend to enjoy it. They order takeout and spend their first night playing an intense game of Bananagrams before finally calling it quits.

That night she feels Gilbert’s breath slowing down to a steady rhythm behind her, and she tries to think back to a moment when she felt this peaceful. His arms wrapped around her, and his head resting near her shoulder. Anne tries to think back to a moment, but fails. She decides that there is no better place than this, the two of them together in bed. Decides that though she loves Green Gables, and she loves the home she’s built with Diana, this place, here with Gilbert, is her new favorite. A new home. 

The first time they sleep together is the next night. It’s heated and passionate, and awkward like every first time with a new person -

( _“_ _Nope_ _!” Anne yelps, “It’s not going in _ _there_ _!”_

 _“Sorry!” Gilbert says, and he can’t help but laugh, his nervous energy getting the better of him. He presses his forehead against hers, his body over hers as he continues, “I am_ _so_ _sorry. It slipped -” And his heart warms at the sound of Anne cackling from underneath him, and she covers her face with her hand._

 _“It’s fine, it’s fine,” she manages to say, her hands moving to cradle his face, inches from her own. She traces his brow with her thumbs and smiles, “We’re good.”_ ) 

\- but eventually they learn how to fit together. Anne isn’t surprised to find out that they fit together quite perfectly and decides that this is her second favorite place, which is convenient with it being so close to her first. Gilbert puffs out his chest when she tells him this afterward, and she flicks his forehead for good measure. 

“It’s too late, Anne,” he says, happily, “Nothing can bruise my ego right now.” 

She rolls her eyes, but gives in and agrees. He deserves the praise.

* * *

The first time they argue is about three months into their new relationship. It’s over something small and insignificant, but the two of them are utterly exhausted from outside stressors. Life popping their blissful, new relationship bubble. 

Anne is in a foul mood, and Gilbert’s patience is thin and before they know it they’re yelling at one another in Gilbert’s car on the way to dinner. Anne demands to be brought back to her place, and he makes a U-turn with no question. 

It takes all of ten minutes for Anne to calm down once she’s home and realizes what a mess she’s made. She wallows in her misery for another hour before she hears a knock on her door, and looks through the peephole to see Gilbert standing on the other side. Flowers in hand, and food in the other. A look of remorse clear through the blurry glass. 

They promise each other not to let their moods get the best of them next time, though they both know, wordlessly, that they’re meant to bicker every once in a while. It’s a part of who they are - Gilbert and Anne, together. But they’ll always forgive. No matter the fight. They’ll always come back. It’s a security that Anne comes to all on her own, one that Gilbert doesn’t need to say out loud (though he does, anyway). She sees it in the way he looks at her, and feels it in the way he treats her. 

And so, when she cries in front of him for the first time a month or so later - sobs, really, due to a work assignment about the lack of foster homes within Charlottetown - she lets him hold her. She lets him comfort her as she explains why the project is too familiar, too much. And she feels better afterward, when the tears have dried on her cheeks. Stronger, somehow. 

And though he resists accepting the same help a few weeks later - sick from working himself to his limits - Anne insists on taking care of him. And though he resists putting down his own walls, Anne pushes through, and forces him to listen to her, forcing him to let her help because she knows it’s good for him. Tells him, in a small voice, that he needs to let her in, too.

(This is what causes him to eventually accept her help and he apologizes for being stubborn, and in response she kisses his forehead. Watches as he falls asleep wrapped in a comforter.)

Anne is confident now that when she challenges him he won’t pull away. A glow of happiness blooms within her when she realizes that finally, _finally_ , she believes it. She knows it to be true. 

That Gilbert will always choose her. That he isn’t going anywhere. And neither is she.

* * *

The first time someone asks about their story, about them as a couple, is months and months later. The two of them are shopping for furniture to fill their rented house. A small place with barely any grass in the backyard, equidistant from their workplaces. It’s not the house Gilbert had described that night in Mary’s garden, but it’s a start. And it’s theirs. Well. In a rented way. It’s theirs. 

Anne is standing by the register, chatting with the employee as she rings up their purchases. Gilbert is hanging by the door, looking through a clearance bin. 

“Anne!” 

She looks up and sees him holding a set of cloth napkins patterned with veggies, most notably carrots. Anne scrunches up her nose and shakes her head, and he rolls his eyes. 

“You two are adorable,” the woman says as she keeps scanning. 

Anne preens at the compliment. “Thank you.” 

“You guys been together for a while?” She continues. Anne thinks about this question. What constitutes a while? She decides to just nod in response. 

“Oh, I can tell,” she says, giving the two of them a mothering look. “You two bicker and talk just like my husband and I did when we were younger. It’s very sweet.” 

Anne chuckles politely, and looks over at Gilbert. His hands are in his pockets, and he admires a tacky painting on display. She can tell by his grin that he has a joke formed about it already. He glances over at her, and grins wider when he sees her looking at him. The woman at the register tells her the total and she moves her gaze away from him. 

Anne is signing the credit card reader, and reviewing the costs, tuning in and out as the woman makes idle small talk, going on about her younger days with her husband. Then she turns the conversation back to Anne, “How did you guys meet? At school?” 

Anne finishes signing and looks up, opens her mouth to answer. Her mind goes back to the first time she and Gilbert met. Their first day at work. It was nothing extraordinary. A simple hello and a shake of hands before they both turned their attention to the presentation being done by Human Resources. A dull scene, really.

She considers the woman’s question again, and almost laughs at the mundane answer to a question regarding the most important relationship of her life thus far. 

“No, not school. We met at work, actually.” 

“At work, ha! Like something out of a sitcom. How lovely,” the woman responds. 

When Anne was younger, she imagined that her tale of romance would be one of love impossible to control - equal parts passion and tragedy. But of course, life wasn’t really like that, and she thinks about how silly her perception of love had been back then. Instead of an epic, Anne realizes that it’s been a series of vignettes, glimpses of a tale too large and grand to really explain. Funny, how life ends up changing so slowly that it’s barely noticeable. How reality can change so drastically without you feeling it happen at all. 

Anne nods at the woman, smiling at how simple it sounds - the beginning of their life together laid out in that one sentence. Smiling at the realization that no words could ever really encapsulate the two of them - Gilbert and Anne, Anne and Gilbert, together. 

“Yeah. Lovely.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One note - I can't take credit for the line about eating a bite of cake. My partner said that to me once after we got back together during a very brief break. So, he gets that credit for that.
> 
> I don't even have words for how much I enjoyed writing and posting this story for other people to enjoy. It was really, and truly fun, and I feel like a better writer at the end of it. 
> 
> I wanted Marilla and Matthew in this somewhere, but couldn't figure out a place where it would work. And I also found myself wanting something more for Diana here. Perhaps something else in the future? Perhaps some snippets of those vignettes I mentioned at the end? Who's to say!


End file.
